Anime Addventure : Ifurita one-half
by tutcat
Summary: Stories that are from that place that have been saved. Ranma gets gift for Kasumi (all stories up for adoption)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Ranma 1/2 or any other crossover characters. They are owned by there respective owners. Not out to make any money or fame on others work.

This is a collection of fic's I was able to save of a web archive that has shut down recently. Some had been edited so my text reader would work better. So original authors and extra stuff was removed from the fic .

On the ones that have not been edited I will be editing them so the original authors will get credited for their parts. Also if you have the parts that I'm missing let me know in a PM will edit them in. Same with other fic's if you have them will post for others to be able to read.

Ifurita 1.5:

With his life, you'd expect less skepticism. [Episode 67523]

by Kestral

Nabiki stared at the girl floating above their pond. "An android?"

"Yes, essentially," agreed Ifurita.

"You mugged the Bakarou Street Boys for Kasumi's birthday present, Ryoga challenged you to get a better present than he did, you went to a strange store and got Kasumi an android however the contract states that you're actually the owner, it's just a 'conditional user' clause for you to loan Ifurita to Kasumi," said Nabiki, going over what she felt were the salient points of the story.

Ranma nodded.

"Hmmmph. I don't know why you'd make up stories like that just to hang around with some new girl," declared Akane, turning her back on her fiancé to show her disinterest.

"uncute tomboy," grumbled Ranma, a bit louder than he actually intended.

"What was that? Would you care to repeat that?!"

"Excuse me. Why not just show them the store?" Ifurita asked. "It might simplify matters."

"That's a good idea, and when this store fails to materialize you can tell us what's really going on, Saotome," said Nabiki with a smirk.

Of course, on the way they ran into Shampoo. And Ukyo. Followed by Kodachi. Tatewaki. Yuka and Sayuri saw Akane and got to talking with her about yet another lame story by Ranma.

Ifurita 1.5: Cyberdyne Cafe [Episode 67928]

by Kestral

Ranma found the store, entered and turned to those who had expressed doubt. "SEE! I TOLDJA!"

Of course no one from Akane to Ukyo was paying any attention to him as they stared around them. Even P-chan nestled in Akane's arms, his head poking up between her breasts, stared.

The tiny storefront had expanded out into a huge showroom, brightly lit and spotlessly clean - all white plastic and chrome and glass.

Completely lifelike maids in uniforms that ranged from practical to near-indecent. (Hey, some androids would do darn near anything to get off the shelf.)

Girls in swimsuits and leotards and seifuku and various uniforms. Animals ranging from cute little terrier dogs to a fully grown white lion.

All looking asleep, all hovering slightly over their pedestals, all turning slowly.

The shocked Nerima residents were slightly jarred out of this as music began to play from a backroom.

"Bwahahahahahahahahaha... Wipeout."

The room turned out to be a lounge with a lot of women and animals. Two women in bikinis danced on the stage while Rei Ayanami played the drums and Asuka Langley Soryuu played an electric guitar.

"It's just a white slaver operation?" suggested Nabiki, not wanting to face the idea that Ranma was right.

The next door displaced that notion a little. A catwalk led out over a huge pit that turned out to be a hangar filled with giant robots.

Ifurita 1.5: Talking To Help [Episode 67930]

by Kender

"Excuse me. Are you looking for something in particular?" came a voice that Ranma recognised.

The pigtailed boy perked up and turned to the approaching salesgirl. "Hiya Kumiko."

"Oh, Mister Saotome. You've returned to us."

"Well... yeah..."

"Did you wish to buy another android, or is there some sort of problem between you and Ifurita?"

"No problems really. Everyone just didn't believe me so I sorta..," he said as he gestured at the crowd that he'd brought with him.

"I see..."

Nabiki arched a brow. "So, you're telling us that this is all for real? That you're selling 'androids'?"

"Um..," went Ukyo, "Isn't that like... not possible?"

"As you can see, it is quite possible, and we have traveled further than any one you might know. So our technology is more advanced than most things on this planet."

"I dunno 'bout that sort of stuff," Ranma said with a shrug, "But I figure that you've got ta know your stuff."

"So you're pleased with your purchase."

"Seems ta be workin' out so far, even if I keep on forgettin' that she's a robot."

As Ifurita smiled at his admission, Kumiko turned to the other Nerima residents. "And what about the rest of you? Anyone want to try buying an android of your own."

Ifurita 1.5: Nostalgic Cologne? [Episode 68017]

by Kestral

Kumiko took the group back to the front. "Matriarch Cologne, what kind of android are you looking for?"

"Well, the business at the restaurant has been good. I often have Shampoo acting waitress and delivery girl, while Mousse often fails miserably at his part time tasks bussing tables and such," speculated the matriarch aloud. "Perhaps a Yorkshire Terrier."

Kumiko nodded. "Just a moment." A spray of light from one upturned hand displayed a hologram of a small white dog. "Something like this?"

Cologne nodded. "I had a similar dog around the turn of the century. He was a good doggie. Can he speak?"

"A voice module can be added," agreed Kumiko. "You are aware that as a small dog, the amount of duties that could be performed at a restaurant would be quite small."

"Oh. That was unrelated, dearie, I was just feeling nostalgic for an old friend I haven't seen in quite a long time," said Cologne, smiling at the image of the dog. "A handy little fellow. Kept the birds off the crops. Always a smile and happy to see me, never any disrespect, always willing to try even if he didn't understand what to do..."

The rest of the Nerima contingent spent time gawking at the hologram the clerk was maintaining, or at Cologne of all people getting misty eyed and nostalgic, or both.

"Well, if you have crops to maintain - this model can do that and more. One of our pseudo-organic models using technology similar to Ifurita. Not as much use in a restaurant, of course." Kumiko paused. "Just a moment please."

The Nerima contingent stared a little more as a section of skin disengaged from the clerk's forearm, revealing a section of metal and tubing.

"Security. The tall male with the bokken is on the hangar floor attempting to to attack the Gundam units. As he is attempting to damage merchandise please place him in a holding cell. Thank you."

"So you're a... robot?" Akane asked.

"Android is a common and more descriptive term, marionette or cyberdoll might be more appro," said Kumiko. "Robot is usually used to refer to nonhumanoid and more simple devices. Ah, they've caught him."

Ranma looked down over the railing as a rampaging kendoist was dogpiled, as he fought back, was overwhelmed, and hauled off to a side-room. There was something just overwhelmingly satisfying about seeing security forces hogtie and haul Kuno off.

"So you sell giant robots, as well as marionette units like yourself," said Cologne speculatively. "What about..."

Ifurita 1.5: Amazon Defense [Episode 68226]

by Kender

"So you sell giant robots, as well as marionette units like yourself," said Cologne speculatively. "What about... something that could defend a helpless village?"

"Oh, we could have many units that could possibly fit that sort of role," Kumiko replied.

"You do? That is very welcome news."

Nabiki blinked. "Wait a moment here. What 'helpless village'?"

"Why, Shampoo and mine, of course."

"Since when has that place been 'helpless'?" Ranma asked with a snort.

"He does have a point," the middle Tendo agreed reluctantly, "amazing as that might seem."

"See? Wait a sec..."

"Anyway, what happened to the village with the 'three thousand years of Amazon history'? What, did you all suddenly forget all your fighting secrets?"

The Matriarch smiled and shook her head. "Hardly. But I have not been in the outside world for such a little time that I could miss some of the possible dangers. Like weapons that can be fired from a great distance and still hit accurately or a man-made plague that our healers had never seen and so much more. That is not counting the sort of thing that would merit the amount of strength that some of these have. Besides, even in a normal fight, this would give us options that we wouldn't have otherwise."

"Ah... so that's why you want one for yourself."

"Partly. On the other hand, having a being that could think for itself would be something that we could respect. Unlike those from Son-in-law's new friend's story."

The salesgirl perked up at that. "You could respect one of us?"

"Of course child. It would be foolish not to. First off, to annoy someone who is supposed to be protecting you is silly. But the major thing is... We really don't care for such foolish whining about where a person came from."

"Well then, I suppose that I can help you there. I think that the best for you would be:

an android."

Ifurita 1.5: Hey, where'd Nabiki sneak off to? [Episode 68309]

by Kestrel

"Of course child. It would be foolish not to. First off, to annoy someone who is supposed to be protecting you is silly. But the major thing is... We really don't care for such foolish whining about where a person came from."

Kumiko nodded. "Well then, I suppose that I can help you there. I think that the best for you would be one of -"

"EXCUSE ME?!" Akane bellowed. "Kiss of death. Kiss of marriage. Obstacle is for killing?!"

"Miss Tendo, you have been given the Kiss Of Death how many times?" Cologne asked, focussing on Akane with a particular intensity.

"Uhm, twice..." Akane asked, stepping back, wondering if she was going to be tossed out into what looked like a very long drop.

"Are you still alive?" Cologne asked.

"Uhm, yes," said Akane, beginning to wonder where this is going.

"Ranma," said Cologne, switching that gaze to Ranma. "What was the reaction in the village when Shampoo gave you the Kiss Of Death."

Ranma thought back. "Hey, they were kinda surprised."

Cologne nodded. "And when you turned tail and ran from the village what was the reaction?"

Ranma scratched his head. "Uhm, I dunno, I was kinda busy escaping."

"Did anyone try to stop you or get in your way?" Cologne asked. "Or did they stand around gaping?"

"Uhm, the last one I guess," said Ranma, not having a clue what was going on.

Cologne nodded again. "How many times did Shampoo sink a spear, arrow, thrown axe, or throwing knife in your backpack?"

"Couple dozen times, I guess," said Ranma.

Cologne turned back to Akane. "I've said too much already, but you might want to consider that not everything you think you know about Amazon Law is exactly what you think."

Kumiko followed the exchange effortlessly, and gestured towards a touch screen computer. "If you can specify the sort of village the unit will be protecting, and what you know of the potential menaces, we can determine what sort of unit would be the best match."

The rest of the Nerima crew watched Cologne pogo-stick her cane over to the terminal.

Ranma scratched his head again. "Did I miss something?"

P-Chan looked around from where he was being carried in Akane's arms and wondered how the heck he was going to beat Ranma's present NOW.

Kasumi hesitated as she stepped up to the girl who she was the primary operator (not owner) of. "Excuse me?"

"Yes, Kasumi Tendo?" Ifurita asked pleasantly.

"I'm your 'operator'?" Kasumi asked.

"That is correct. I am to assist you in housework and other domestic duties," stated Ifurita.

"You're an android?" Kasumi asked.

"Yes, that is essentially correct," agreed Ifurita. "Cyberdyne repaired my systems after salvaging me."

The little tour group had come to a halt to listen to this exchange.

"I see..." Kasumi said, wondering what she was to do in this situation.

"Well, I've got a question," said Yuka, holding one hand up. "Can you do Rocket Punch?"

"Possibly, it would depend on what 'Rocket Punch' entails," said Ifurita.

"Ifurita is a fully functional Ifurita unit from a world called 'El Hazard'," explained Kumiko. "A number of ancient civilizations had them, similar to nuclear weapons in this world."

"She's a nuke?" Akane asked, eyes widening slightly.

"No, she's..." Kumiko stopped as Ifurita raised her own hand.

"I'm what you might call a 'Weapon Of Mass Destruction', it was my task to be activated and then to fly to an enemy installation - destroy it - and return to my Controller." Ifurita shook her head. "I am so very glad that this is not the duty that I am returning to."

"'Enemy installation' like tanks?" Akane asked.

"Cities," corrected Ifurita growing visibly more saddened and upset. "Resorts, military targets, hospitals, manufacturing depots, hot springs... They'd give me an order and I had to obey... I had to..."

Ranma looked surprised as the android hugged him and started crying again.

Kumiko took up the narrative again, deflecting attention away from the two while Ifurita tried to regain composure. "Ifurita -19. She's artificial cloned tissue, state of the art for old El Hazard, bioenhanced near-human. She and several others ended up with a major conflict developing. They had to obey orders but a number of them came to identify with their human targets. Eventually that conflict caused their combat performance to collapse and they were shot down or otherwise disabled on the battlefield."

"So no 'Rocket Punch'," concluded Yuka.

"That would depend on the nature of the attack," said Ifurita as she regained control. "My series was designed to duplicate any attack used against us."

Ranma blinked at that and began to smile. "Ya get someone to hit you with their attack so ya can duplicate it or come up with a defense against it? That's what I do!"

"Those sparring sessions should be quite interesting then," summed up Kumiko.

"Wait a minute," said Shampoo as she made a show of peering around. "Where Sneaky Mercenary Girl go?"

"Uh oh," said Ranma.

Ifurita 1.5: Falling Danger [Episode 73806]

by Kender

In Nabiki's experience, she had come across superpowered martial artists, magical items and the occasional supernatural being. What she might have dismissed before the arrival of a certain pigtailed martial artist, she now accepted. Her life had become filled with insanity and the occassional absurd event, but she dealt with it the best that she could, and made herself a few yen at the same time.

But technology out of a sci-fi movie was something that she had a hard time swallowing. So she had set out to find some sort of proof that it wasn't real, that it was a hoax and something was going on. To do that, she had found a door that she could open and sneak into so that she might be able to find out something useful.

What she found had awed her, as it looked to be a chasm that went to darkness below. In front of her was a humanoid form, made of metal, colorfully painted and looking like it could be tough to fight, with more to either side of it. All around her, it looked like some sort of hanger for these machines.

However, she firmed her resolve and decided to disprove the idea that this was real. After all, who could build such things and in the middle of Tokyo to boot. Giant ghost cats and mirrors that allowed one to travel through time were something she could almost expect. But manshaped machines the size of buildings were not.

Running on the assumption that it was merely a painting or something, she stepped to the edge and went to put her foot down on the 'empty space', so that she could prove that it was an optical illusion. There was some hesitation as a part of her mind told her that it could be real. But she held firm, and cautiously tried to test her theory.

And slipped off the edge, and down to the the bottom.

That was where Kumiko found her when alerted to her dissappearance. "Oh dear..."

Ranma covered his face with one hand and nodded. "That's puttin' it real mild..."

Ukyo tried not to retch at the sight.

Shampoo closed her eyes.

Akane stared at the screen unblinking and uncomprhending.

Cologne turned to the eldest Tendo daughter and asked, "I assume that you will need some help with the arrangements?"

Kasumi blinked and fainted.

"I don't think that sort of thing will be needed," Kumiko told them.

"Why is that?" asked the Amazon Elder.

"She is still alive."

"Oh my..."

"And if we hurry, we can get her back to perfect health."

"Even from such a fall?"

"Possibly, if we act fast. As you can see, we have our units on the scene."

Shampoo turned from the image of numerous androids converging on Nabiki's form and stared at the sales girl. "You make Sneaky Girl better?"

Ifurita 1.5: The Bionic Nabiki? [Episode 73855]

by Kestrel

Nabiki had just dropped 120 feet onto a ceramic-steel reinforced floor.

Nabiki was not Keitaro Urashima, who would barely be fazed. She was not Ranma or Ryoga, who would suffer minor injuries from such a thing.

A normal person falling that distance and landing badly was a mess.

One could look at the mess and tell that all the king's horses and all the king's men weren't going to put Nabiki together again.

Cyberdyne, on the other hand, was much better at such things.

"Now, about payment," began Kumiko as the bits and pieces of Nabiki were carefully gathered up.

"I thought I'd already arranged that," said Ranma with a scowl.

"You arranged for your contract with Ifurita," said Kumiko. "I'm talking about the repairs for Nabiki Tendo. She did step off the obvious walkway, over the rail, and for whatever reason decided to take the fall that she did."

"It's going to cost to fix Nabiki?!" Akane exclaimed as if the entire idea was ludicrous.

"Yes," said Kumiko without any visible reaction to Akane's voice reaching the upper registers. "The price depends on how much reconstruction. Ah, we've isolated the usable original parts."

Subject: Nabiki Tendo

Age: 17 Height:5'5" Weight:130# Cup: C

Blood Type: A+ Lanitype: HuJaFeVx

Usable with minor repairs: right arm and hand. Primary cranial region. Right lung. Right femur. Right eye. Right kidney and adrenal gland.

"That's all?" Akane asked, then thought about it. Nabiki had splatted pretty badly. "How much damage?"

The list continued on much longer.

"Okay," said Ranma. "How much are we looking at?"

"A nearly full cyborg replacement," said Kumiko. "Too many damaged internal systems for anything else. Her rib cage apparently sliced up her intestinal tract."

"Money is no object for my little girl," began Soun.

"Easy for you to say, Daddy. We don't have any money!" said Nabiki's voice.

"NABIKI?!" shrieked Akane.

"We're keeping her brain alive on life support, though we'll have to begin operations soon if we want to have any hope of avoiding further brain damage and resultant memory loss." Kumiko tapped a few keys and an image of what was left of Nabiki's head appeared.

"I've looked better," remarked Nabiki's synthesized voice.

Subject: Nabiki Tendo

Simple Prosthetic Body $35,000

Plastic Cyborg Body $75,000

Marionette Cyborg $145,000

Full Marionette Conversion (Basic) $5,500

Full Marionette Conversion (Saber) $25,000

Clone Body $21,350,000

Liquid Metal $9,000,000

Used Chassis price varies

Combat Cyberdoll/Steel Angel $31,000

"These are the options you have," said Kumiko. "Yes, Miss Tendo? If you license us to use your physical image, we can credit you enough to cover the Simple Form. That leaves you alive though physically crippled. You'd have the minimum necessary but the limbs are what your own technology is capable of producing. We can release you with the Simple form without having you agree to the nondisclosure of technology contract. The Plastic body is quite obviously an artificial body with plasticized skin. While you wouldn't be physically crippled, your strength, speed and stamina would be less than what you are used to and people might mistake you for a mannequin. Sense of touch is only 20% of what you might expect as well."

"Ah," said Nabiki as a computer model of the two appeared briefly. One showed a Nabiki as she might have been fixed with modern medicine, which would leave her in a wheelchair. The other showed a Nabiki that looked more like a very articulated doll than anything else.

"The Marionette Cyborg option would leave you with a noncombat marionette body merged with the remains of your human body." Kumiko brought up a normal image of Nabiki, except for the odd lines on her left upper arm. "There are problems with this, mainly that your human body may attempt to reject the cyborg parts."

"What's the full marionette and why is it cheaper?" Nabiki asked.

"We discard the physical body," said Kumiko. "Your mind, soul, personality, and memories are transferred to a marionette body we prepare on the spot. Since we have all the proper equipment here and can be prepped within five minutes - it is the cheapest option for us in terms of time and resources."

"You can turn Mercenary Girl into supergirl android?!" asked Shampoo.

"It would be far easier than attempting to do the clone body," admitted Kumiko. "The Saber Marionette merely means combat grade. Uprated strength, speed, reflexes, physical durability. The only drawback is some additional programming we usually insist on to avoid the Rogue Destroyer problems that could crop up later. The Clone body takes about two months to develop and would be nearly indistinguishable from your original body."

"Would she be able to have children?" Kasumi asked, having begun to recover somewhat.

"That would take full Marionette replacement, with an additional $5000 charge for the specialized equipment," replied Kumiko. "The Liquid Metal is not recommended. It would allow you some shapeshifting abilities but a strong enough magnetic field will destabilize the nanobots."

"What about the Used Models?" Nabiki's voice asked.

"Mainly the bodies of Triax and similar nonhuman cyborg stylings meant for people living in really hostile environments. Their previous owners traded them in for Clone bodies or advanced specialized models." Kumiko cycled through a few of them just to give the customers/patient an idea of what to expect.

Soun stared, the thought occurring to him that if this had been available earlier - his wife could have been saved.

"How do I pay for this?" said Nabiki's voice. "I know Daddy doesn't have the money."

Ranma wondered if he should offer to add the tab to Ifurita's purchase.

Akane wondered if Nabiki should go to work for the company in order to pay it off.

Kasumi wondered if these androids could be made in human image, then maybe Nabiki could sell her image to the company in order to pay for her repairs.

Kodachi wondered if she should offer to pay for the Mercenary Girl's cure, and then make the stipulation of Ranma's marriage to herself, perhaps transfer of the Tendo arrangement to herself?

"We'll work on payment arrangements after you've decided what body to go with, we'll need to begin work immediately," said Kumiko.

"In that case," said Soun, realizing he was Head Of House and he needed to act the part. Otherwise it all fell on Kasumi's shoulders. "I choose:"

Ifurita 1.5: Machine Girl [Episode 73978]

by Kender

"In that case," said Soun, realizing he was Head Of House and he needed to act the part. Otherwise it all fell on Kasumi's shoulders. "I choose..."

"I'll take the marionette conversion!" blurted Nabiki's voice.

Kumiko raised her brows in an expression of surprise. "You will?"

"I just said that, didn't I?"

"Well, if that's what you want..."

"It is. I'm not about to bankrupt my family just for that."

"Okay then, the decision has been made."

Ranma glanced at Ifurita for a second and then back at the screen. "Are ya sure 'bout this?"

"Certainly Saotome," replied the middle Tendo.

"But that means that ya won't have your body..."

"That's a trade off, but I don't really have an option. I'm not about to spend the rest of my life as a cripple, and being a walking mannequin is not something that I'd like. Besides, while keeping my body would be damned nice, I'm not going to have that sort of bill coming."

"I see..."

"Good," Nabiki told him.

"Now, are you ready?" Kumiko asked her.

"Just about," came the reply,

Ifurita 1.5: Drawbacks & Benefits [Episode 74145]

by Kestrel

"Hey," Nabiki's voice said. "Can I make some alterations, and what's 'Image data' anyway?"

"For the first part of your question, yes, we're setting up an access channel so you can make specific alterations directly. The unit is not an artificial intelligence, but is fairly intuitive, so make whatever changes you like within reason. As for Image data - image includes but is not restricted to your physical likeness. To some degree your memories - particularly the image data from your brain that links up a specific picture with a specific idea. I'm told it's rather like having a lot of sisters or daughters, in that all those within your specific line would then be within that 'circle of relatedness'. Each unit would be a specific individual, but a near copy."

"That's kind of creepy," said Akane. "Copying personal memories?"

"Yes, that's why it has been assigned such a high monetary value," admitted Kumiko. "Normally we'd run a background check, personality tests, and only when everything came back approved would we make the offer. Miss Tendo's case here is somewhat unexpected."

"...let's see make the breasts a little bigger and firmer..." mused Nabiki's voice. "Manicure too. Save money by doing it this way. Hmmm. Hey, that's a lot of small print. Oh, Ranma. Can I speak to you for a moment?"

Ranma blinked. "Ain't you already talking to me?"

"In private, I mean," said the disembodied voice.

Kodachi watched with an unusual emotion welling up inside her. Envy.

"These marionettes, they remain young and beautiful forever?" Kodachi asked.

"That depends on your definition of forever," admitted Kumiko. "I myself have an expected operational life of seven hundred years where my physical appearance will not deteriorate. With occasional upgrades and routine maintenance - a life of thousands of years isn't beyond reason. The limiting factors are our need to serve and our main neural net. Right now it's expected the marionette brain will begin deteriorating in function about seven hundred years after manufacture. Emotional stress and not having a purpose will shorten that, while having our 'special someone' will add to it, and stasis can hold it off with minimal data loss."

"Oooh?" Ukyo and Shampoo both said with glances towards Cologne. Eternal youth and beauty? Yet at what price.

"So Nabiki Tendo will now remain looking as she will turn out, three hundred or a thousand years hence," said Cologne. "Remaining young and vital. Yet at what cost? She will never have children. If she's ever injured she has to be repaired."

Kumiko's head cocked to the side. "Actually it looks like she's selected a Saber unit with the childbearing option and a self repair node and... clever."

"What she do? She make herself stronger than Shampoo?" Shampoo didn't like that development.

Kumiko continued to remote monitor the package Nabiki was putting together. "A Saber unit is about the price of a car. She's fitting herself for stealth and speed primarily, with a full sensor suite."

"Sneaky Girl is still Sneaky Girl even if she change to machine girl," observed Shampoo.

"That's not the clever part. She's determined that it is cheaper to buy a Saber unit than it is to become one. So she's arranging for Ranma Saotome to purchase her." Kumiko tsked. "I wonder if she realizes what all that entails?"

"Probably not, foresight is not a typical quality around here," said Cologne.

"She's locked the deal in place," observed Kumiko.

"What mean?" Shampoo asked.

"Vulgarly asked, but she has a point. What does that mean?" Kodachi inquired, intrigued on several levels as this sort of thing was a private fantasy of hers.

"She's basically making herself a present to him in order to save money," said Kumiko. "However as he is her owner and primary operator, her loyalties will no longer be self-centered but centered towards him."

"Oh, I see," said Kodachi.

"That make sense," agreed Shampoo.

"So that's it," put in Akane, nodding.

"Ah," agreed a nodding Ukyo.

"...?! WHAT?!" exclaimed four girls as the potential meaning sunk in.

"Oh my," agreed Kasumi.

"WAAHHHHHH! My little girl!" cried Soun.

[Does this mean I don't owe her any more money?] popped up a panda sign after one of the streams of tears from Soun turned Genma into a panda.

Ifurita 1.5: Crossed Errors [Episode 74331]

by Kender

If one were to rationally think about it, they would realise that the situation that Nabiki was placing herself in was a problematic one. She would be forced by her programming to do what he ordered despite any wish otherwise, save for a few instances. On the other hand, it was unlikely that the pigtailed boy would get past the concept that he would be owning the middle Tendo daughter, robot or not, and would likely have a hard time ordering her to do anything. One might think that the most likely result would be a whole lot of misunderstanding and freaking out on the part of both parties before they could come to any balance.

Ranma's fiancees weren't exactly known for thinking rationally.

"What does that pervert think he's going to do with my sister?!" snarled Akane.

Kodachi sniffed. "The most likely result will be that your moneyhungry sister will try to manipulate my poor Ranma-darling!"

"There's no way that I'm going to let her get her claws into my Ranma-honey!" declared Ukyo.

"Shampoo no let Sneaky Girl trick way to Airen!"

Kumiko blinked several times. "Isn't that over doing it a bit much?"

"NO!" tore out from four throats.

"I'll save you Ranma-darling!" proclaimed the gymnast.

"Shampoo save him!" yelled the lavander haired Amazon.

"Don't worry Ranma-honey!" shouted the chef.

"Grrr... Ranma you jerk!" barked the youngest Tendo.

Reduced to staring, the salesgirl could only watch as the four young women stormed foward, fighting with each other to be the one to reach their goal. Shampoo would trip Kodachi, who would lash out with her ribbon, snagging Ukyo, which made the brown haired girl swung her spatula, knocking over Akane, who would fall on top of the Amazon. And that was only the beginning as they tried to get to her control panel in the hopes of doing something to stop what was going on.

It was almost like watching a pile up on a highway in slow motion coming straight at her.

Once Kumiko realised that they were coming close to her, she began to try to hit the controls, trying to lock down the system so that the damage would be minimised. Doing so wasn't too hard, but trying it in such a short period was a difficult proposition. But as she had nearly made it, something happened that made her wince.

Ifurita 1.5: So that's a FUBAR [Episode 74469]

by Kestrel

What could go wrong?

What couldn't go wrong would be more to the point.

Akane + Shampoo + Ukyo + Kodachi + a high tech control panel = disaster.

As Kumiko had stated, the changes were locked. Nabiki had entered the specifics on her conversion and she was going to have Ranma add her to his bill, thereby saving her family from paying for her while minimizing problems. Ranma was a clueless jock, so she'd be able to manipulate him however she wanted.

Akane slammed Kodachi into the control panel after Kodachi had been tripped by Shampoo and had grabbed Akane in an "inappropriate area."

Adding Domestic Skilpak

Adding Masseuse Skilpak

Adding Marionette Repairgirl Skilpak

Adding Basic Mecha Piloting

Adding Basic Mecha Repair

Adding Basic Mechanics

Adding Basic Electronics

Adding Gunsmith

#Akane, you'll pay for this.# flashed across a monitor briefly.

Kodachi's face slammed into the control panel as Akane was knocked off balance and into her by a spatula swipe as Ukyo and Shampoo traded attacks.

Adding Sexual Techniques - Basic

Adding Affection For Owner subroutine, Level III.

Adding Entertainer - Geisha Skilpak.

#I'm going to get even with all of you. Somehow. Somewhen. Some... oh. So that's how that works.# popped up on an undamaged monitor.

A spatula slammed into the control panel, the edge making a messy shear through plastic and thin metal. Shampoo was grappling Ukyo and pulling at her hair, Akane had grabbed ahold of Shampoo's collar with one hand and produced a bucket of water from nowhere with the other. Kodachi was biting Shampoo's ankle.

Cologne saw what was about to happen and ducked and covered.

Akane's bucket of water sloshed out, splashing across Shampoo and the open and sparking control panel that still had a metal spatula buried in it.

FRRRRRRRRRZZZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKK!

Dim emergency lighting went into effect.

Kumiko cleared her throat. "Well, at least life support is on a different system. As soon as this section is isolated the breaker will be reset. Does anyone know where she got that pail of water?"

As the lights came on, the bodies of four young ladies (or rather three and a cat) could be seen smouldering a little around the edges.

Ifurita 1.5: Shocked Rose [Episode 74819]

by Kender

Rolling onto her back, Ukyo blew out a puff of smoke and groaned. "That wasn't something that I would want to try again."

"I didn't want to do it the first time around," muttered Akane.

"Meow," grumbled Shampoo-cat.

"Oh my..," said an obviously fretting Kasumi, "Are all of you okay?"

Pulling herself from the floor, her sister nodded. "I will be... I think."

"Nya..," put in a wobbly looking Shampoo.

"Give me a little while," commented the chef, "and I'll be right in rain."

"That is good to hear," Cologne told them.

"Why thank you..."

"You're welcome. But I do wonder if any of you realised one thing."

"What's that?"

"Has anyone noticed that the Kuno girl has not moved as of yet?"

"She hasn't?" Kumiko asked, and made her way over to the gymnast. "She's barely conscious, and her vitals are low."

"Shock?"

"Could be..."

"How bad is it?"

Producing a scanning device, the salesgirl ran it over Kodachi. "It seems that her nervous system is shot and her heart was harmed. Add in the other damage, and it doesn't look good."

"Then what can you do?"

"We'll have to work fast, whatever we do..," Kumiko replied, and then noted the slight hold that the injured girl had on her clothing. "Miss Kuno?"

"I... I... want to be a marionette for... my... Ranma-darling..," gasped Kodachi.

"What?!" blurted the other two teen girls, with a "Meow!" from a cat.

"Are you sure about that?" Kumiko asked.

"I... will pay... want to be loyal to him..."

Shrugging in helplessness, the sales girl nodded before taking her over to where a floating bed was waiting. A robot arm came and took the injured girl away,

Ifurita 1.5: An easy payment plan? [Episode 74899]

by Kestrel

Ifurita had stood in the background for much of this but had come forward to the stricken girl as she was being carried away and given her a squeeze on the shoulder. Holding out a hand she led the shocked Ranma along in the wake of the medicbot.

"No, I mean she's literally cooked," said Kumiko. "She was at ground level when the electricity was arcing and she was the one who took the brunt of it. If Miss Shampoo hadn't changed into a cat and broken contact as a result of the shrinkage, it would be her that had become damaged."

"So what does this mean?" asked Akane, her emotions whirling in a dozen different directions with this development.

"Her body temperature briefly exceeded one hundred ninety degrees," said Kumiko. "Only for three quarters of a second but it was enough to start a cascade effect." She didn't need to make a gesture to display the data, like pulling out a scanner it was mainly an affectation that served to reassure humans in the vicinity. She gestured at a monitor and it came alive with a display.

"What's all that red?" Akane asked.

"Damaged or burst cellular membranes," said Kumiko. "Her hypothalamus is shot, pituitary, see the damage to the spinal cord areas? Blood brain barrier's shot too. Liver, intestinal tract..."

"She die?" Shampoo asked. Rivals were for killing but that was up close and personal, not accidently frying them. Besides, that had almost been her!

The tide of red continued to spread through the silhouette of a human body.

"The two of them will be delivered later," said Kumiko. "We'll have to artificially sustain Miss Kuno until we can determine that this is what she really wants and it wasn't done from delusion."

"I see," said Cologne.

"Now, as for paying for the damage you three have caused," Kumiko said, turning towards the fiancees. "Miss Kuno will pay her share and is paying another sort of cost altogether. How do you three plan on paying for damages?"

"Ranma?" Akane turned, and found a decided lack of pigtailed boy. "RANMA?!"

"Ranma Saotome did not participate directly in the event," said Kumiko. "Well?"

Ranma stared at the tank. Bit by bit, a naked Nabiki was taking shape. A hairless head and face, perfectly formed at this stage, her neck and shoulders. Something like a spinal column and ribs. He'd arrived in time to see the internal organs of the chest being installed. Lucky him.

The inner layers resembled human tissue, at least what he could remember from biology class. Except they were mainly translucent plastic-coated metal and other oddities. The ribs and spine were plainly mechanical looking though. Segments of tough looking metal coated with plastic.

"Fascinating," said Ifurita, watching the process. "This is more advanced than the ancient El Hazard artificiers could have managed."

"Great," said Ranma, his tone suggesting that it was anything but.

Looking over displays, Ifurita gave an approving nod. It appeared that as a Saber unit, Nabiki would weigh a small increment more than she had as a human but would be far stronger and tougher. "Don't touch."

Ranma had been about to lean on a panel and now flinched away from it. "I didn't do nothing!"

Ifurita turned back towards the tank. It was really quite something. As soon as the nanobots had finished an area, prefabricated pieces like an organ or a bone would be released into the tank. The piece would be guided into place and then the nanobots would weave artificial tissue to connect the new part to its new home.

"So that's how it's done," said Ifurita. "No doubt the artificial womb is fairly similar in function. Artificial tissue that functions much like the original."

"Uh huh," said Ranma, still a bit shocked and nauseated as he watched a shoulder joint get built up and an upper arm get fitted into the socket.

Ifurita looked over the unit as a second tube was being prepped for construction of another unit. "I wonder if she realizes how long a thousand years can be."

Akane stuck her head out of the huddle to briefly address Kumiko. "We'll be right with you."

Ukyo waited until Akane had dropped back in. "Okay. How are we going to do this."

"Shampoo not know why she have to pay. Was Spatula Girl's spatula and Violent Pervert Girl's water."

"Because none of us are letting you out of this and you were in the melee too," growled Akane. Ukyo nodded her agreement.

"We could try selling this 'image data' but I don't know. It's just kinda creepy," put in Ukyo. "I mean, you go into a store and there's a clockwork Ukyo 'Welcome to Yoshi's Pizzeria, can I help you?' or something."

"Kuno could buy an Akane of his own," said Akane. "You have no idea how much that idea disgusts me."

"Shampoo can relate. Mousse buy own Shampoo, would give Shampoo serious creeps."

"Perhaps I could offer my own image data," put in Cologne.

"You think they need something that scary?" Soun asked.

BOPP!

"Now that he had coming," stated Akane as her father was bopped in the head.

"I was quite a beauty in my time," stated Cologne. Actually the idea of a version of herself, forever young, forever strong in the martial arts - it had some attraction to her.

"Could be worse," stated Ukyo. "Imagine Happosai buying a set."

"Ewwwww," said Soun, Genma, Cologne, Ukyo, Akane, and Shampoo.

"If it was just the overall image, that's one thing, but they also use brain data." Akane shuddered. "I'm not so sure I could handle walking into a restaurant and finding ME in a bunny-suit waiting tables or something."

"Shampoo think that horrible idea," agreed Shampoo. "Violent Pervert Girl in bunny-suit too too horrible to imagine."

"Yeah, yeah, HEY!" Akane glared at the giggling Shampoo. "Let's get serious here. How are we going to pay for damages?"

Yuka and Sayuri were in a second huddle, whispering to each other, and apparently planning something.

Genma had found a wall unit that could dispense whatever beverage he asked for and was beginning to think this place wasn't so bad after all!

Ifurita 1.5: Selling The Picture [Episode 75070]

by Kender

"We have to do something," Akane said to the other two girls, "I don't know about you two, but my family can't pay that much."

Ukyo nodded. "I do have my business, but most of the money just goes back into it, not to mention that I have to take a lot of time off to go to school."

"No look at Shampoo," the Amazon told them, "Not know how pay for self, never mind others."

"So we've settled that we're in a bit of a bind. Now we need to figure out what we can do about it."

"Shampoo figure have one choice."

"What's that?"

"Is strangeness about having robot selves too much in face of paying lot to machine people."

"You've got a point," Akane grudgingly allowed.

The Amazon shrugged. "Have to figure out if possiblity of fools having copies?"

"I just wish we could have some way of keeping them from doing that..."

"Well, let's see if we can," Ukyo said, and raised her head from the huddle, "Hey, can we ask you a question."

Kumiko nodded and gave a concilitory gesture. "By all means."

"If we were to sell you our images, would you keep certain... people from buying them?"

"That would be no problem, as long as it doesn't go overboard."

With a nod, the chef went back to the huddle and looked the other girls in the eyes. "What do you think?"

"Is good can keep stupid Mousse from buying robot girl," Shampoo commented.

"And Kuno too," Akane agreed with a shiver, "I wouldn't want to imagine what he could do with a copy..."

"Okay then," Ukyo said resolutely, "We have to make a decision then. What do you say?"

Ifurita 1.5: Methods of payment [Episode 75133]

by Kestral

Ifurita glanced over the displays.

As an artificial life form herself, she was more than a little curious about these two. Not to mention that they would have the same owner as herself.

She tapped out an inquiry and raised an eyebrow at some of the choices.

Unit NT001 Nabiki Tendo

Sabre class Marionette SR type

Str **

Spd ***

Int ***

Dur **

Self Repair System - Basic

Childbearing Package - Basic

Sensor Suite - Battlecomputer, IR, UV, Nightvision, internal radar

Primary Designation: Mechanic

Primary Skills: Domestic, Masseuse, Marionette Repair, Mecha Pilot/Repair, Electronic and Mechanical Repairs, Gunsmith, Entertainer

Secondary Designation: Entertainer - Geisha

AI: Transferred Soul, Otome Kairo Mk II

Affection For Owner subroutine altered to Level III

Owner: Ranma Saotome

Progress: 84% Completed

Ifurita looked at where Nabiki's scalp was building a level of hair even as the changes continued elsewhere. Everything below the waist was still open, with the legs only being metal-ceramic bones and connective tissues at this point.

Ranma looked slightly ill still.

Unit KK001 Kodachi Kuno

Sabre class Marionette VR type

Str **

Spd ****

Int **

Dur **

Self Repair System - Basic

Childbearing Package - Basic

Sensor Suite - Short range medical scanners

Drug Dispensing System - Type II

Primary Designation: Personal Assistant

Primary Skills: Domestic, Masseuse, First Aid, EMT, Marionette Repair - Basic, Entertainer

Secondary Designation: Nurse

AI: Transferred Soul, Otome Kairo Mk II

Per request, using Affection For Owner subroutine level I

Owner: Ranma Saotome

Progress: 24% Completed

Ifurita looked over the girl there, who had known what she was getting into. She suspected that Nabiki had not known or considered the ramifications, whereas in the case of Kodachi - it was possible that she had placed herself in harm's way deliberately for this end.

The girl's face and head were mostly complete and seemed serenely asleep. The spine and basics of the rib cage were apparent, but the rest had yet to be filled in.

"It's not bad," pointed out Ifurita. "If it bothers you, just don't order them about. Though from what I can see of this girl's psychological profile, she would probably feel neglected if you didn't."

"Huh?" Ranma asked.

"Look at these two, they've sold their image data. The Nabiki series is designated a Mechanic specialist. While the Kodachi series is being designated as an Entertainer specialist. Though apparently these designations are just initial and can change after feasibility studies."

"We've decided," Akane told Kumiko.

"That's good," said Kumiko, turning from her conversation with Yuka and Sayuri.

Akane stopped and looked at her friends, then back to Kumiko, and then back to her innocent looking friends. "Guys?"

"They were just concluding a potential deal, Miss Tendo," Kumiko informed Akane. She then addressed Akane's two friends. "We have initial images ready. Would you like to see them?"

"Yes please," blurted Yuka.

Holograms appeared, showing images of both Yuka and Sayuri turning in midair. Except that these seemed to have a few cosmetic alterations.

Yuka's image had a pair of cat ears and a tail, and was bustier than her original. Wearing a Lara Croft adventuring outfit and with a gun holstered on both hips, she looked a bit wilder and more dangerous than the schoolgirl original as well.

Sayuri's image stood with legs slightly apart, hands clasped in front of her own more generous bosom. Her cheongsam fluttered slightly in a simulated breeze as she regarded them.

"If you come back and decide to sell us your data, we can easily use these specifications," Kumiko informed the two. "As you've stated we can specify the Yuka as an Explorer-Scout and the Sayuri model as a Tutor-Bodyguard series."

"You can specify duty type," Shampoo said. "Okay-dokey! Shampoo sell image data but want specify what duty type series sold as."

"Let me guess, body guard?" Ukyo drawled.

"Waitress," said Shampoo. "And please to have unit speak clearly and distinctly. No want speech impediment copied."

"Okay. Beppo?" Kumiko gestured and a metal baseball flew up. "Beppo here will take you to an imaging chamber. A holographic representation will appear that you can add tweaks to if it makes you feel more comfortable."

Shampoo followed the slowly moving baseball, looking a little more nervous now that she'd committed.

"What about testing of these units, or development?" Ukyo seemed hesitant now that it was actually coming to pass.

"I see," said Kumiko. "So you desire to pay back your share of expenses by field testing units in real world situations? With your statements about running a restaurant that would provide a semi-regulated work environment for fine tuning. That is certainly one way to do it. Independent contractor status?"

"Uh yeah," said Ukyo quickly, having not even realized that was a possibility. "That's it exactly. No matter how many simulations you run, it ain't like it's the real thing."

"True," admitted Kumiko. "We have had prototypes run into problems and there is always new data to gather. Particularly when you factor in alternate realities. Very well, one Image Data, one Field Test, and what of you, Miss Tendo?"

"ME?!" Akane exclaimed, glaring briefly at Ukyo. The plan had been for all three to sell their Image Data. Ukyo going off and using her advantage at having a business didn't seem at all fair to Akane. "I... what else can I do to pay off that kind of debt?"

Kumiko considered the youngest Tendo as if analyzing her down to the last molecule. "Well, Miss Tendo, we could:"

Ifurita 1.5: Part-Time Akane and Nanny Kodachi [Episode 75419]

by Thrythlind

"That's it, just work here at the showroom?" Akane asked.

"Well, it isn't exactly all cake," the android explained. "The doors do open out across various realities, so we do get a variety of customers. And occasionally we do get some spill over from a local disturbance."

"What does that mean?" Ukyou asked.

"If the door opens onto a world with a raging demon war," Cologne said succinctly. "Expect a fight."

"You will receive combat pay for every such occurence, however," Kumiko told the nervous Akane. "And we've managed to sharpen the extradimensional sensor sweeps enough that we have cut down the number of such surprise by a margin of 10 percent in the last year."

"Uhhhh, what's the life expectancy of the job?" Akane asked sheepishly.

"For unenhanced humans, about six months," the android said honestly. "But you're a low-class superhuman, you should be able to handle it long enough for the combat models to get to the showroom."

And Akane did something that, to date, only her father had done.

Fainted dead away...slamming into a control panel.

Alter Image Current Prototype Accepted: Adding Anthropomorph Basic Package, Species: Black Fox.

Tertiary Subroutine added - Nanny - Child Protection

"Perhaps it would be best to continue this discussion away from the machinery," Kumiko said nervously. "On the other hand, this will make the Kodachi series a very good selling series. Entertainer, nurse, child care...hmm."

"Curious, it hasn't finished the spine yet," Ifurita said.

"Huh?" Ranma repeated turning to look at Kodachi's robot, and swallowing a little as he did.

He saw that the demon-goddess was right, Kodachi's tail was extending farther than it should have. In fact, it was beginning to look something like a tail. He looked back up at Kodachi's head and blinked as the black furry ears were finished.

"What the hell..."

Unit KK001 Kodachi Kuno Sabre class Marionette VR type

Anthropomorph - Basic (Usagichan de Cue variation)

Physical Enhancement - Prehensile Tail

Sensor Suite - Enhanced hearing, scent

Claws, light self-defense "manicured fingernails" model

Enhanced canines, light self-defense "cute fangs" model

Primary Designation: Entertainment Subroutines Added - Children's Stories, Children's Songs, Children's Games, Children's Show Fox Roleplay, Young Child to Teenager Superhero Stories, Adult Fox Roleplay

Secondary Designation: Nurse Subroutines - Children's Medicine, Child Care

Teritary Designation: Nanny/Child Protection Subroutines - Aikido martial arts package.

Libido set to Grade Three

Progress: 34% Completed

Warning: Any further shifts to this models image will be blocked at 36%

"Wait!" a monitor flashed indignantly for a moment. "I don't..."

Progress: 37% completed

Further changes to this prototype's image blocked.

"Oh bother," the computer monitor flashed.

"Heh, join the club, Kodachi," another monitor printed up.

"What just happened?" Ranma asked.

"Apparently another accident," Ifurita said.

"Why is 'fox roleplay' listed twice?" Ranma asked curiously.

"Simple," the Nabiki monitor printed. "One is for the kids' playtime. And one is for the parents' playtime."

"Huh?" Ranma asked.

"I believe she refers to sexual intercourse," Ifurita said.

"Actually," the Kodachi computer flashed. "It isn't nearly as bad as I first thought it'd be. Oooo, I remember that song from when I was a little girl!"

"You know, at this rate," Nabiki said. "All of us will be marionettes before we get out of the store."

Ranma sweatdropped.

Ifurita 1.5: Foxy Lady Dachi [Episode 75440]

by Thrythlind

As the Kodachi monitor's speakers started broadcasting a rather relaxed variation of Jimi Hendrix's "Foxy Lady," the physical structures of both Kodachi and Nabiki were further along to nearing completion.

And as it progressed it became clear that the "Usagichan de Cue" variation that had been applied to Kodachi...

Ifurita 1.5: Multi-Purpose Anatomy [Episode 75455]

by Thrythlind

Ifurita took a moment to look at some further details regarding Kodachi's artificial anatomy.

"Hmm, very interesting," she said, at one point.

"What?" Ranma asked.

"Apparently, they are given the option to control the size of their chest," Ifurita said.

"Huh, what do you mean?" Ranma asked.

"The less embarassing reason, Saotome," the Nabiki computer said. "Is part of the basic childbearing package, if I intake the proper foods, I can produce milk, and holding the milk increases the breast size."

"The less embarassing reason?" Ranma asked.

"As part of the Geisha programming," Ifurita said. "Nabiki is given the following range of sizes dependent on her owner's preference."

The holographic image showed Nabiki's normal chest grow and shrink repeatedly in a sequence ranging from small, handful-sized breasts to near the upper end of a C-cup range. Ranma swallowed nervously and flushed slightly.

"Kodachi, meanwhile, has the following range," Ifurita said, calling up a holograph of a Kodachi with black fox-tail and ears.

Ranma's slight flush darkened to almost crimson as the hologrpahic image ranged from a small C-cup through to a high E-cup. It wouldn't have been so bad if it weren't for one thing.

While Nabiki's hologram's apparell shifted from mechanics overalls to flight suit to dancing wear to a geisha's outfit, (the last two bringing the brightest flush to Ranma's face) Kodachi's outfits ranged from the innocent to the naughty nurse to a complete lack of costume.

Ranma immediately pinched a hand to his nose to stop the flow of blood.

Ifurita 1.5: Not A Dream [Episode 75459]

by Kender

It was a slow thing for Akane as she felt herself floating back up from unconsciousness to the real world. The haze of darkness shed itself from her mind, and reason returned to her. Taking a bit of effort, she tried to push past the throbbing in her head, and opened her eyes.

Standing above her was Kasumi, looking as if she was in the middle of wringing the cloth in her hands. "Oh, you're awake!"

"The way that I feel, I certainly am," muttered the youngest Tendo.

"Oh dear, I suppose that it's because of that knock on your head... I'll have to get something to help you with that."

"Thanks. I'm really glad to be awake though..."

"Hmm? Why is that?"

"I was having this really freaky dream. Ranma had come home with a present for your birthday and it turned out to be a girl! And when we made him explain it, he took what seemed like everyone we know to the place he got her, which was this futuristic place with tons of technology. Then Nabiki fell and they had to turn her into a robot to save her. But she tried to get out of the paying as much as she could, and gave herself to Ranma. We got mad, and had a fight, which made Kodachi have to be turned into a robot too, and of course, she had to be with him. Shampoo sold her image to pay for her share of the damages, and Ukyo offered to pay by having robots 'field tested' in her resturant.

"And when they came to me, they asked me to work for them! After they described it... why are you looking at me like that?"

"Akane... That wasn't... er... It was..."

"Don't tell me that it was real?!"

"That is exactly right," put in another voice, one that she had thought that she had only dreamed up.

Turning slightly, the youngest Tendo looked up at Kumiko and gave a tremulous smile. "Oh... hi..."

"I'm glad that you don't seem to be suffering too many ill effects."

"Well... there is the aching in my head..."

"But that is only temporary, and you will be allowed enough time to recover. Though we will still have things to discuss."

"We do..?"

"Of course. There is still your share of the damage to pay for," the salesgirl told her,

Ifurita 1.5: Scanning [Episode 75529]

by Kestral

Shampoo stood nervously. Not nervous because she was naked. Not nervous because she was naked and supposed to stare at a target while a couple of mechanical arms rotated around her body.

What made her nervous was the imagined feeling of fingers running through her brain.

"There you are, Matriarch," said Kumiko holding out a hand and causing a holograph to appear. On it appeared a skeleton, turning around as if on a turntable. Organs and flesh gradually appeared with reams of data scrolling in the margins. "As you are her family, this can be done with your permission."

"Most interesting," admitted Cologne as the view shifted to hands, legs, and other body parts - following the same progression of skeletal to skin. A representation of a human brain and spinal column appeared, with pulses and flashes of light depicting something occurring within. "How far does the scan go?"

"Another two minutes," said Kumiko. "It would be faster, but the brain mapping section has to be adjusted for each individual. Ah, see there. We have sequencing. Not long now."

"I don't think her doubles should be restricted to waitressing," said Cologne. "I'll talk to her later about lifting that restriction. What about my image data?"

"Your greater experience would mean that your data would be more valuable, though our units usually sell on appearance with functionality being appreciated later." Kumiko bowed slightly in apology.

"A human foible," admitted Cologne. "When I was younger though..."

Having shared his discovery of the Universal Drink Machine with his old buddy Soun, it was inevitable.

"Thish ish the life, Shoun ol' buddy-wuddy," said Genma, hefting a flask.

"Yuppurs. The houshesh will be jammed," agreed Soun. "Wif Akane off working insh shtrange new worldsh, getting combat paysh. We be rich!"

"And housesh will be jointed," chimed in a sloshed Genma. "Cause dat one daughter done soldsh hershelf to dat shon of mines. Once dey do dey shummon de shtork it'll be all better."

"Stork? Yoush sure a kidder, Shtome," said Soun before skulling a dark thick liquor that left him wheezing for breath when he was done.

"Whash this counter over here?" Genma asked, peering at a little set of numbers. Panic set in. It must be his tab! How would he pay for this?! "I'll jusht shell Ranma to cover cost." Genma stopped. No he couldn't do that - if he did that now it would interfere with his victory in getting Ranma together with that Tendo girl. "Shtoun ol' buddy?"

"Eh?" Soun asked, looking more than a little woozy from trying to catch up with Genma.

"Gotsh a deal for you where we can makesh e'en more money," confided Genma.

One person had been present earlier who was not there now. One person had wandered off.

"BWEEEEE?!"

Considering that Cyberdyne did open across various realities, this had the potential to get very bad indeed.

Ifurita 1.5: Off Track [Episode 75855]

by Kender

Ryouga Hibiki had a tendency to get lost rather quickly and easily. It was not something that he ever meant to do, but he naturally did it. No attempt to give him directions every worked correctly, so he managed to go places and across distances that many never would have expected. Due to that, he had been able to see many things and meet many people that others might have never seen.

Except, he had never managed to get someplace like this.

He didn't know that he had just wandered through a store that had connections that went interdimensionally. Nor did they realise that a little black pig had not only managed to find the path where it could get past all of the security measures and through a portal to another universe. Neither party knew what was happening, which had led to the point that the Lost Boy was finding himself.

As he looked around, he saw metal floors and things blinking all around him. A look out a window proved that there was a starfield out there, though it had been daytime the last that he had checked. Wandering around did little to help, as there was nothing around him that looked terribly familiar.

That was until he managed to find the sign which would allow him to know the name of the place, if he could read it. In English, written upon it was the name of the station,

Ifurita 1.5: Space is Big. [Episode 75905]

by Kestral

"Meow?"

"No, if you prefer we can use one or the other, but the Image fee is specific to an individual not their form," said a pleasant voice. "It appears that the functioning of the feline form is largely magical in nature - which limits our ability to duplicate the process."

"Meow?"

"Mainly for curiosity, though your Matriarch is currently conducting some - I believe the term is 'dickering' over the possibility of utilizing a Shampoo marionette paired to a Cat marionette which can serve as a remote feed. It has some merit."

"Meow!" agreed Shampoo. She'd seen her great grandmother at work haggling with merchants back in China. If she was handling the negotiations than it was way over her own head.

"Thash itsh Shaotummie," slurred Soun. "Itsh all arranged. I'm not Head Of Houshe for nothing!"

Genma nodded agreeably.

Kumiko frowned momentarily. "Miss Tendo. You are nineteen years old, correct?"

"Yes," agreed Kasumi.

"I'm sixteen," pointed out Akane. "I'm in high school. We're not allowed to work jobs!"

"Your father has just attempted to sell your Image Rights for a series of Domestic units," said Kumiko, ignoring Akane's comments. "Oh, and yours, Akane for a series of Grunt Labor units."

snort. cough. Ukyo clenched her jaw. She was not gonna do it. Not going to roll around on the floor laughing.

"He what?!" Akane practically screeched.

"Since we already have Akane Tendo listed as an employee, part time, we naturally put that arrangement on hold. Whereas you, Kasumi Tendo are over the age of majority and therefore his authority over you is not that complete. Do you wish to allow it to go through anyway?"

Kasumi fainted.

"I'll take that as a 'no'," said Kumiko with some regret. "I'll contact a medical unit to take her to a cot, we had one prepared after the last fainting incident."

Strange music, sounding vaguely like a cross between Glenn Miller and synthesizer New Age, was playing from a bar whose neon-holo sign read "Gallagher's 99."

P-chan stared at the crowd. The things. The people. The things that were also people.

The street looked like the sort of thing you'd have seen in the old "Bladerunner" movie.

It was the sign though that caught P-chan's eye. The sign that welcomed you to the finest drinking spot in

Ifurita 1.5: Star Pork [Episode 76228]

by Kender

It was something that P-chan was having a bit of difficulty understanding. The last time that he had checked he had been in that wierd store. But now he seemed to be stuck around some sort of strange bar where even the otherwise normal looking customers were dressed strangely. That wasn't something that he had expected, and had never managed to see before, which meant one thing.

Someone had switched the signs around and now he was in some sort of theme bar. Only something like that could explain the way that there were all these guys in similiar outfits save the different colors could be walking along with those folks with the bumps on their faces. There were even some who looked like they were not even close to human, but those simply had to be costumes. It didn't make sense for a regular guy to be drinking some sort of green liquid with a girl with pointy ears for any other reason.

So, he simply put it down to his bad luck taking him to some science fiction convention and walked along, hoping that he could find his way back to where he was supposed to be.

However, a girl whose leg he brushed up against had a different idea.

"Oh! How cute!" she declared as she picked up the little black pig and held it up to her face.

"Here we go again..," drawled the woman sitting across from her.

"What?"

"You're going to want to keep him, aren't you?"

"Why not? He is such a cute little guy."

"That's what you said about the tribble."

"But this guy looks like he'd be different."

Her companion rolled her eyes. "And what if they catch you with it?"

"Why would they? I'll be running it by them anyway..."

P-chan merely hung his head and wondered how he could get back home

Ifurita 1.5: Nabiki 1.5 bootup [Episode 76268]

by Kestral

P-chan grumbled. Same old routine. Here he was in a spaceship, kidnapped by alien women who thought he made a cute pet. Great just great.

Wait a minute!

P-chan leapt off the bunk and trotted to the window. Planet. Space field streaking by. Thrumming through the deck plates. Space station off the port bow.

He was in space. The final frontier. These were the voyages of the starship...

"BWEEEEEEEEE!"

Akane frowned but in a thoughtful as opposed to a "Ranma did something else wrong" manner.

There were several things going on in her life which were decidedly different from the day before. A simple demand that Ranma prove something that had been ridiculous had proven to have consequences that none of them could have foreseen.

Her sister and Kodachi had been nearly killed. Without intervention from high tech sources, they would be both dead. Instead they were going to be androids that her fiance owned.

She'd put aside the thought that she was going to be working in hostile environments tomorrow. It was either that or she'd have to deal with the deal her father had made while drunk and observe with a lot of Grunt Labor robot Akane running around. If she insisted that because she couldn't work because she was a high school student, that meant that her father's deal was actually valid. If she insisted on working, she placed herself in potential mortal danger. Not that just like around here wasn't at times quite dangerous.

Ranma had had to stay behind and take care of some paperwork, and right now there were a couple of the androids (named Mew and Mica) looking for P-chan who'd wandered off somehow.

"Yes, that's how you do it. Back and forth."

"It's very slick."

Akane's eyes widened and her gaze went to the second floor of the Tendo home. Kasumi? Ifurita? They weren't... were they?!

"Too much force in your thrusts. By the way this staff of yours is quite chilly."

"Don't worry. It'll warm up. How's this?"

Akane twitched. Ranma was so perverted even that wind up doll of his was a pervert! And corrupting Kasumi!

"Oh yes. Be sure to apply it evenly now. Yes. Yes, that's much better."

"I've never done this before, but I think I'm getting the hang of it."

Akane scowled and ran up the stairs. "Kasumi! You caaaaaaaaaaaa"

Kasumi and Ifurita looked up from where they were waxing the floor to watch Akane go shooting past them.

"I haven't finished there yet," complained Ifurita.

"So much energy," said Kasumi of her sister.

"-aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-" Arms windmilling, Akane continued down the hallway into her room. "aaaaaaaaan't AH!"

WHAM! CRASH!

"I just straightened up in there," complained Ifurita.

"We're in luck. I'll be able to show you how to replaster a wall now," said Kasumi thoughtfully.

"If you'll just wait here, Mister Saotome. Press the button when you're ready," said Kumiko.

"Wait I - oh hell," said Ranma as the door closed behind the marionette salesclerk. Why did one simple birthday present have to go so wrong?

Now Nabiki was probably planning to use this against him somehow but he just didn't see how this would all end up his fault. It would though.

Ranma looked in through the glass pane of the "coffin" she was in. Undergoing final preparations or something. It looked like Nabiki had not only wanted to give herself more of a bustline, she'd also buffed herself up a little more though subtly. Her legs looked a little longer too.

Really weird was the costume. Since she was supposed to be primarily a mechanic, she had a set of coveralls with lots of pockets. The top was open, revealing a black formfitting undershirt or maybe the top part of a leotard. Nabiki herself looked like she was sleeping peacefully.

Bleep!

Ranma realized at once that he was leaning on the glass and peering in. He backpedaled immediately. "AH! I didn't mean nothing! It was an accident!"

klik whirrrrrrrrrrr

The coffin lid opened up and Nabiki slowly rose to a sitting position.

System Diagnosis: OK.

Energy level: 75%

Safety Interlocks: Green

Owner: Ranma Saotome

Activation Boot Up Complete.

Suggest utilizing a break in period of two days before exploring limits of capabilities.

Nabiki yawned and stretched. It felt like she'd had a good nap and was a little bit tired yet.

Opening her eyes, she could see that it was the room she'd seen earlier through a video feed. So this was it. She had been successful in getting purchased by Ranma for a significant savings. She could then purchase herself back from Ranma after recouping a little funds. Not a problem. He had always been embarassingly easy to manipulate.

Nabiki's eyes went to Ranma and widened involuntarily. Her Master?

It looked like the Level III Affection For Owner subroutine meant:

S

Ifurita 1.5: Happy Greeting [Episode 76338]

by Kender

In the time that he had known Nabiki, Ranma had become used to her being the smart-aleck of the three Tendo sisters. She was the constantly cool and calm one, and always had plans for whatever she wanted to do. Even when she was angry, shenever screeched or hit, and was usually able to handle anything that came her way with a definate control. He simply never knew what she was thiking or feeling, as she knew how to cover them up rather well.

What he had never expected was for her to be fairly wrapped around his body.

"Uh... Ya... like me?" he asked incredulously.

"Definately!" she declared and nuzzled his cheek.

He didn't know what to make of it, save that she felt normal enough, but that wasn't the main thing on his mind. "Ummm... I'm happy ta see that ya are okay, but could ya lay off on the hug?"

"Oh?" she asked, disappointment echoing in the word.

"Well... yeah. It's kinda like... Shampoo, and I'd sorta like ta breathe..."

Reluctantly she let go of him and stood to the side, before realising how she had acted. Instead of the calm manipulation that she had planned on doing, she had leapt to hold him and she couldn't have stopped herself. There was just something in seeing him that made her happy and she still couldn't help smiling when thinking about him.

Looking a bit embarrassed and shy, he ducked his head and looked at her. "Sorry 'bout this."

"Don't worry about it," she told him, waving off the apology, "It was my fault, since I should have been looking where I was going."

"So, ya ain't mad at me?"

"Why should I be?"

"For... buyin' ya for starters."

"Which was my idea, if you remember."

"Well, yeah..."

"So, what do you want to do?"

That made him blink. "Huh?"

"You are my Master, and I am programmed to do what you want."

"URK!"

"Relax... It's okay."

"Ya... You're sure."

"Yes. It wasn't like you tried to hurt me or anything."

"Who'd want ta hurt ya? I mean, it wasn't like anyone was tryin' when they got in that fight and broke the controls..."

Nabiki nodded at that. "I understand, but we'll just have to deal with this."

"I hope so. This is really wierd."

Looping her arm around one of his, she shrugged. "Think about it from my end."

"I've been doin' that a lot."

"I'm sure that you have been. Still, we have plenty of time. What do you want to do with it?"

"I'm not sure..."

"We'll figure something out then," she told him with a smile that was not feigned. Some of it was due to being in such close contact with her Master, but another part came from the realisation that he was the only one that she would think of in such glowing terms. One thought about what her sister, Shampoo and Ukyo had done and she wasn't about to simply forgive and forget. Oh, she wasn't about to be mean or anything, but she knew that she could do some things that would let them know about her... displeasure. That was if Ranma didn't make her not do it.

"I guess we could wait to see how Kodachi turns out," he suggested.

"That might just be a good idea."

"Ya think so?"

"Sure. This way you only have to bring your marionettes home in one trip."

Wincing a bit as she refered to herself as 'his marionette', the pigtailed boy nodded

Ifurita 1.5: Kodachi the Black Fox [Episode 76376]

by Kestral

Nabiki left Ranma to go check on a few things.

She knew that the temperature of the areas she was passing through would have felt chilly to her. She merely registered the chill briefly but then shoved the consideration off to the side. The temperatures she could remain operating were such that a mere drop of thirty degrees was hardly worth noticing unless Ranma or a similarly unaugmented human were with her.

On some level she felt like grieving for her lost humanity. On other levels she was exulting in the new form. She could go without food or water or air if needed, or she could use all three with internal mechanisms that mimicked human functionality. If she were cut, she'd bleed - there was something akin to blood flowing through her body that performed the same functions.

Finally Nabiki reached her goal and looked out across the processing network.

An even twenty Nabiki units were being prepared.

Unit Type: "Nabiki" NT series.

Primary Designation: Maintainer. (Mechanic/Repair/Janitor Unit)

Secondary Designation: Entertainer.

Nabiki nodded. The twenty initial test run marionettes would find work in spaceports, aboard spaceships, and at drydocks. Each was her sister or daughter in a manner of speaking. Individuals would eventually develop their own mannerisms and personality quirks to further seperate them.

The NT series were combat grade but not intended for front line combat duty. Mechanics and pilots had to be able to survive the frequently hellish conditions found in space, particularly battles.

Nabiki frowned thoughtfully as she noticed the individual touches put on three units to seperate them further from the other seventeen. Specifically the catgirl, bunnygirl, and an actual furry anthromorph "skunk" style unit. Though the furry had a mane and features that mainly matched up with her own set.

Spotting an access port, Nabiki walked over to it and opened her forearm panel to jack in.

NT001: Query system.

FCT-4: Online. Nature of query?

NT001: Why are three of the Nabiki series anthropomorphs?

FCT-4: Primary - Individual environment placement. Secondary - further differentiation from series allows for wider range of test data.

NT001: Individual environment? You mean that where they'll end up has needs for a version of me with bunny ears and a cotton tail while I'm repairing their war mecha?

FCT-4: Catgirl unit is to fit in with existing catgirl types in that universe. Bunnygirl type is for universe where general animorph population exists. Bunnygirl type is viewed as friendly and nonthreatening, therefore less likely to be involved in territorial disputes and 'office politics.' Salusian version is for universe where Salusian empire exists.

NT001: That's the one with fur and a skunk tail?

FCT-4: Nabiki Prototype unit is correct. Query request?

NT001: I thought you were the factory control AI. Don't you have all the answers.

FCT-4: Self is Semi-autonomous Factory Unit #4, located on mining planetoid XR-71 in the Alpha Centauri system of universe JV-DN-201000 Koref branch. Self is three years old, with an expected operational life of 250,000 years. Self is familiar with high tech mining processes, factory operations, design and testing of both marionettes and true robots, astrophysics and a wide variety of other subjects from on hand databases.

NT001: So what kind of question is it that you don't already know?

FCT-4: What is it like to live as an organic?

Nabiki stared at that for awhile, trying to figure out an answer. How do you explain such a thing to someone without reference? It was like explaining color to someone born blind. You might grasp the purely physical description, that of light bouncing off an object and shifting in frequency so that that the eye perceived it as a seperate value. Beyond that though?

NT001: I'm not sure I can explain. I haven't been in a marionette body for long.

FCT-4: Acknowledged. Perhaps in a few hundred years you can interface again and be able to quantify difference.

NT001: Yeah. Thanks.

Nabiki disconnected and leaned against the railing. A few hundred years. The thought helped bring forward the changes that had been done to her, especially with the interface that she'd almost instinctively initiated.

She'd be alive, barring something hitting her enough to damage the otome kairo in her chest hard enough to completely destroy it, a thousand years from now. She'd still be considered "getting the hang of it" a hundred years from now. People that she'd grown up with and knew at school? She'd remain young and vital long after they were dead of old age. When their children and the children of those children were dead and gone, she'd look the same unless she put in for alterations during that time.

Even now, she was faster and stronger than a typical human. She wasn't quite sure how she'd compare to Ryoga or Ranma. She'd be stronger and faster than Akane most likely.

Diseases of the normal organic sort weren't able to affect her. Computer viruses or hackers - she operated independently of any systems and had the equivalent of a virusgard and firewall operating if she did connect with another unit or a system.

Nabiki stared at the units, her daughters in an odd sort of way, and knew that the same was true of them. They would be crossing paths long after her sisters were dust. Princess Himiko had begun the unification of Japan just under 1000 years ago, Nabiki wondered what Japan would she see 1000 years later.

Shivering despite her ability to ignore cold, Nabiki turned back towards where she knew her new sister was awakening.

Kodachi felt herself slowly returning to consciousness.

Unit KK001 Marionette VR Type.

Kodachi series marionette - Prototype/Transferred Intelligence.

System Diagnosis: OK

Energy Level: 75%

Safety Interlocks: Green

Owner: Ranma Saotome

Activation Boot Up Complete

Suggest utilizing a break in period of two days before exploring limits of capabilities.

Kodachi yawned, revealing sharp little fangs similar to Ryoga's. She stretched, starting with her arms and going to tiptoe as the stretch slowly went to feet and tail.

Kodachi the Black Fox swished her tail experimentally and blinked as she looked around.

Holding up her hands, she focussed on one palm. Up close with only slightly enhanced vision, she couldn't see anything different. Within those hands, she knew, were advanced medical scanners. With a touch she could read blood pressure and temperature among other things, the more prolonged the contact - the more data. She could also dispense medications with a light scratch of her nails.

She had succeeded in her request. She was a nurse and personal assistant and nanny, and she belonged completely to her Ranma-sama.

When she saw him, she felt her knees grow weak and a heated flush forming. "Master..."

Ranma mainly looked uncomfortable. The entire idea of owning someone didn't strike him as right. Kodachi had been entirely too scary. Now she was some kinda fox-girl.

Kodachi approached her Master carefully. He looked nervous. "Shall we go home, Mas- excuse me, Ranma-sama?"

"Can't you just go back to your mansion?" asked Ranma hopefully.

"I could, though my place is with you now," said Kodachi. "And I suspect that my brother will not react favorably to my alterations."

Ranma was about to say something when an idea penetrated. "Hey, what happened to him anyway? Last I saw he was getting beaten up, tied up, and then dragged off."

"Ah," said Kodachi. "Let me check with the system here."

After a few minutes of placing her palm on an access plate, Kodachi's tail fluffed out. "Oh dear. It appears that he is:"

Ifurita 1.5: Goon Sword Squad [Episode 76520]

by Kender

"Hold on," Ranma asked, "ya are tellin' me that he is tryin' ta buy marionettes of himself to get me?"

Kodachi nodded slightly. "That's pretty much what he is planning."

"One of him is enough, but all that stupidity in one place..?"

"Unfortunately it is his data and is his to do with as he pleases."

"But I thought that ya said that he wouldn't like ya like this."

"And that is still true. Apparently he sees them as mere machines for him to use as he wishes, almost like buying a bunch of advanced toasters. The only thing that makes them special in his eyes is the fact that they would be based on him."

"So ya wouldn't want ta go back ta a guy like that, right?"

"Exactly," she told him, but did not mention that she would prefer to stay with him at any time, and that if he wanted to, she would have been looking for a clear flat space.

The pigtailed boy rubbed his head and sighed. He still wasn't keen on owning the two girls, but if they might put with someone would with think of them as appliances, he wasn't about to do that to them. However, it was still wierd to think that he now owned three android girls, two of whom were human ones that he had known. "Okay... So what's going to happen with it?"

"I'm not sure as of yet. The transaction is in the process of being completed."

"What's takin' so long?"

"It appears that my brother thinks that his image is worth more than many."

"He would... What exactly would they do with a robot that would like him anyway?"

"I'll bring the theoretical specifications up on a screen."

He nodded at her suggestion. "That might be a good idea."

Unit TK001

Sabre class Marionette VR type

Str **

Spd ****

Int *

Dur ***

Self Repair System - Basic

Sensor Suite - Battlecomputer, IR, UV, Nightvision, internal radar

Primary Designation: Security

Primary Skills: Weapons Use - Bokotu, Bokken, Katana; Kendo; Speed Techniques; Basic Computer Use; Knowledge of Bushido

Secondary Designation: Bodyguard

AI: Pseudo-Neuralprocessor Mk III

"What does all that mean?" Ranma asked with a confused frown.

"It means that they would be your basic security guards," a returning Nabiki's voice called out, "In essence, they would be the guys keeping people from wandering into secured locations."

"Which will drive my brother insane when he realises that these would be... how does the vernacular go... 'rent-a-cops'," Kodachi agreed with a grin, "when he wishes to be a 'true warrior'."

"True enough. He's likely to be plenty annoyed when he figures out that they wouldn't be front line soldiers."

"And that means that what for me?" their 'Master' asked.

"They're not going to be any more difficult than he would be."

That made Ranma sigh and slump in relief. "That's good ta hear..."

"I'd think so," Nabiki told him before turning to Kodachi, "And it seems that you're awake."

"Apparently," came the transformed gymnast's amused reply.

"And it looks like we're his marionettes."

"We are truly lucky, are we not?"

"True..."

'Girls are so wierd,' thought a completely confused Ranma

Ifurita 1.5: Definition of Lucky [Episode 76558]

by Thrythlind

"Really, Ranma," Nabiki said enthusiastically. "Think about it, if we weren't marionettes, I'd be a puddle on the floor right now."

"And I would be a charcoal briquette," Kodachi affirmed.

"And neither of us were what could be called prime catches," Nabiki said. "Thinking objectionably, we'd probably both end up living out our lives alone, or in loveless relationships of convenience."

"But now, we have you Ranma-sama!" Kodachi declared, taking the moment to hug her master tightly.

"Isn't wonderful?" Nabiki added. "Daisuki!" And then she glomped onto Ranma, sandwiching him between her and the very well-padded fox girl.

Ranma sweatdropped as both android girls sighed pleasantly heads leaning against his shoulders.

"Oh man," Ranma said questionably.

Ifurita 1.5: the Kuno squad [Episode 76585]

by Kestral

"Truly, my visage is worth far more than that of others," continued Kuno, still in full Rant mode.

Kumiko had gone offline for maintenance at the end of her shift. That left TIM, who was rather bored with all this, so he reached out and touched the Blue Thunder. Voltage flowed.

After briefly lighting up like a Christmas tree, Kuno said in a low voice. "That didn't hurt, you know."

"I can cut you a special deal," said the clearly robotic TIM unit. "By downgrading the Intelligence to a simple electronic brain, I can cut the cost of each unit and I don't think anyone would notice that much of a difference."

"The qualities of a Kuno are obvious to all," agreed Kuno.

"Right," said the Technical Intelligence Mech. TIM's wheels spun slightly to better face a monitor. "Now each of these shall look absolutely identical to you. Unless you want to decrease the price further by using this breakaway style?"

"What doth that mean?" said a scowling Kuno.

"Hit one hard enough in the arm and it'll detach. It can be reattached later quite easily. It's a model that was discontinued due to the inconvenience of putting it back together all the time, but it is fairly durable as the breakaway function absorbs a lot of impact force."

"Tis cheaper? Then go with this. Though they be inferior copies of my greatness, twill do to ambush the foul sorcerer!"

"Quite," said TIM. "The stats look like this now."

Unit TK001

Dirk class Marionette VB type

Str **

Spd ***

Int -

Dur ****

Self Repair System - Basic

Sensor Suite - Basic human parameters

Primary Designation: Cheap Labor

Primary Skills: Weapons Use - Bokotu, Bokken, Katana; Kendo; Speed Techniques; Basic Computer Use; Knowledge of Bushido

Secondary Designation: Comic Relief

AI: Simple Electronic Brain, Grade D

"What doth this mean?" Kuno asked in a natural bewilderment.

"It means that they'll have limited responses like 'Yes, Master Kuno', 'What?', and so on. Since they're reconditioned units, there may be left over phrases like 'Do you want fries with that?' but otherwise they'll be fully functional."

"Ah, then as to this large charge here?" Kuno pointed at a section of bill.

"You damaged a Gundam unit for having a bigger sword than yours, there's nothing I can do about that fee."

"You bargain like a..." Kuno stopped short at that comparison because this truly was some soulless being, wasn't it? Oh, the horrors and compromises he must needs indulge in for the sake of Akane Tendo and the pigtailed one!

Akane grumbled, being distracted and unhappy about recent developments.

On the one hand, her sister was alive. Oh, and Kodachi was too.

On the other hand, that pervert idiot Ranma now OWNED them.

On the one hand, she'd have the opportunity to prove she was a martial artist and capable of looking out for herself!

On the other hand, she was working in a hazardous environment where she could end up getting eaten by demonic beings from beyond! This was a bad thing.

On the one hand, she could get out of it easily enough. Just run it by the school authorities, get a 'No' out of them, and she could present that to Cyberdyne.

On the other hand, that would mean that her father was still the legal/responsible authority as far as her welfare was concerned and he'd already sold her image data to be used in a series of Grunt Labor androids.

On the one hand, Kasumi was getting some help around the house.

On the other hand, it was yet another beautiful young android girl who apparently had enough power to destroy entire cities! Owned by her pervert I-didn't-ask-for-this fiance! Stupid baka Ranma. bakabakabakabakabaka.

It was really a good thing Akane didn't know about the Kunobots or she'd probably faint again.

"We're home!" "Tadaima!" "So what about sleeping arrangements?"

Akane twitched. Ranma, Nabiki, and Kodachi had just arrived. What to do?

Akane nodded to herself. Ignore them! It'll all be gone in the morning. Right? Right! Just some horrible dream.

Ukyo was closing down for the evening when she heard a faint rap on the door. "I'm sorry, we're closing."

"Oh that's all right. I'm from Cyberdyne, I can just find an empty corner and power down until you need me," came a voice.

Ukyo blinked and shrugged. Well, she had made that deal.

Opening the door, she was greeted by the image of:

Ifurita 1.5: Dealing With Questions [Episode 76845]

by Kender

Standing there, Ukyo scanned the tall and tanned blonde with a reluctant eye. "Cyberdyne sent you?"

"Uh-huh!" her apparent new worker told her andt held out a paper. "They said that I was supposed to come here and work for a time for a special test!"

"They did..?"

"Oh yes. Well... They were surprised when my profile came up, but they were really nice and checked to make sure before they sent me here!"

"And you're supposed to be a waitress."

"Yup! My original had experience in it, so I get to be one. And I get to wear this cute uniform!" the blonde said cheerfully.

"Uhh... yeah..."

"So, can I come in?"

The chef shook her head free of her daze and stepped aside. "Sure, come on... umm... What is your name?"

"My name's Mihoshi and I'm really happy that you're giving me this chance!"

"Okay Mihoshi. We're closed for now, but we'll be opening early in the morning."

"That's wonderful!" the marionette commented, pressing her palms together, "I can't wait! But I really hope they like me..."

"Who are you talking about?"

"The customers!"

"I'm sure that the guys will just love you," Ukyo drawled, taking in the way that the blue uniform fit to a generous bosom and showed a long length of leg. "And if you're nice, the girls'll probably like you too."

"You think so? I can't wait to find out!"

"Uh... Me too..," the chef unenthusiastically agreed.

"You're such a nice person, you know that?"

'No, I'm apparently a glutton for punishment,' the brunette thought to herself, but made certian to keep it from her face. "Thanks for the compliment. Good night, and see you in the morning."

"Good night!"

For most boys, Ranma's current situation would be the stuff of fantasy. Having two definately attractive and affectionate girls, whom he owned, be perfectly willing to do whatever he wanted, was something that others might find alluring, but for him it wasn't really close to that. Some might even wonder why he didn't exercise his power in any way he pleased.

But the pigtailed boy was well aware of the possible dangers and wasn't about to risk them, especially as he had issues with ordering around girls whom he had known before their transformation, even if they were perfectly willing to do things he'd rather not think about.

So, he sat and watched television after a long line of finding things to do that would keep him from thinking about the particulars of the situation. First had come some practice in the dojo. Then had come dinner. After that had come homework, which he had never thought would be something that he would want to do. And now he was watching a show just for the ability to say that he was watching it.

Which didn't help out as his two new 'aquisitions' followed him everywhere.

"Oh Ranma," Kasumi called out, popping her head in from the hallway, "Remember that you shouldn't stay up too late."

"Hmm..," went a slyly smiling Nabiki, "That does bring up the fact that we didn't figure out the sleeping arrangements yet."

The pigtailed boy's throat worked, but he kept his eyes securely in the screen before him.

"Oh yes," Kodachi purred, running a finger down his arm, "Where would you like us to sleep?"

It took a great deal of effort not to run at that moment.

"There are so many choices..," the middle Tendo daughter mused.

The Black Fox smiled. "Of course, we do so wish to make our Ma... Ranma-sama... comfortable."

"So, what do you think?"

"What should we do?"

There was a wild and trapped expression in Ranma's eyes

Ifurita 1.5: Japanese pancakes? [Episode 76962]

by Kestral

Thump thump!

Hearing thumping from next door, Akane turned on her side in her bed, pulled the blanket over her head, and tried to convince herself this was all just some horrible dream.

Ranma finished stacking things against the door, and sighed.

It had taken awhile for him to convince Nabiki to sleep in her own room and Kodachi to return home. Finally he'd just had to order them to do that. When they'd begun giving him that sad-eyed look he'd almost broken down, but he finally reminded them that they would see him in the morning.

Why did he have this feeling of impending disaster though?

Mihoshi had been scanned, as had her partner.

Physical data was the easiest scan, an exact physical likeness being fairly simple and straightforward.

The brain scan had been done, with an unusually high amount of sequencing accomplished. Astral and overdimension scans had also produced results.

The problem with the MK-2000 aka "Mihoshi" series was not a physical attractiveness problem, or a problem with the niceness and helpful nature. They were typically well received wherever they were found, at least initially.

The image data had also been sold with one of the standard "Sincere Copy" clauses. All Mihoshi series were to be sold without great modifications of the personality and for a specific range of purposes. You could not buy a Mihoshi if you were going to use it for prostitution or criminal activity, for example.

MK-2000 series "Mihoshi"

Str: **

Spd: **

Int: *

Dur: **

Self Repair System: Basic

Childrearing System: Intermediate

Pilot Rig: Basic

Sensor Suite: Basic Human Range, Short Range Transceiver, Short Range Radar

Primary Designation: Personal Assistant

Primary Skills: Computer Operation, Basic Piloting, Drive Like A Maniac, Trick Shooting, Basic Domestic, Cooking, Child Care

Secondary Designation: Waitress

AI: Pseudo-Neural Processor Mk III

The problem was that she was copied a little too well.

Every Mihoshi produced thus far had suffered from incredible luck - both good and bad. Of the original test run of twenty, three remained. For a unit that had a potential operational life of a thousand years, lasting just a week had become something of a triumph.

Considering the problems with the Mihoshi unit, so far none of the Kiyone units had been activated. One of the requirements for activating a Kiyone, specified by the original, had been that a Mihoshi unit had to be field operated for a full month and that the two would not be owned by the same individual.

The three Mihoshi units surviving were one Bunnygirl Mihoshi who had been put on Standby after her math processors locked up while figuring out tips; one Maid Mihoshi who had locked herself in a closet a week ago; and the Mihoshi who was now sitting in an okonomiyaki restaurant in Nerima making flapjacks for the morning crowd.

Ukyo came down bright and early that morning and found that her restaurant was:

_a) packed! The morning construction crews had started gathering when it looked like the place was open unusually early.

_b) SELLING SOMETHING OTHER THAN OKINOMIYAKI?!

While (a) was quite welcome, (b) was practically sacriledge.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Ukyo shrieked as she saw stacks of pancakes with butter and maple syrup being dispensed from HER grill!.

Mihoshi smiled in a generally clueless manner. "Selling pancakes!"

Ukyo growled, then noticed customers looking her way and got herself under control. "We don't open this early."

"But you miss the early morning crowd," protested Mihoshi. "All these guys were passing by and they looked hungry."

Ukyo twitched. "This is an okinomiyaki restaurant. We sell okinomiyaki!"

Mihoshi put a finger aside her cheek and looked thoughtful. "Doesn't okinomiyaki mean 'as you like it'?"

"Well, yes," admitted Ukyo, wondering what was coming.

Mihoshi beamed happily. "So I'm selling flapjacks. Also some buttermilk pancakes. Blueberry pancakes. Waffles. And... why are you beating your head against the wall like that?"

Ifurita 1.5: A Piece Of (Pan)cake [Episode 77150]

by Kender

Leaning her head against the wall, Ukyo wondered what she should do. She liked the cheerful marionette, but she also had a resturant to run, and it was an okonomiyaki one, not the International House of Pancakes. The simple idea of serving anything other than what she had been just grated on her nerves.

"Are you okay?" Mihoshi asked, concern tinging her voice.

"I've been making okonomiyaki ever since I was a little girl. My father taught me just as his father had taught him. My family has been making okonomiyaki for I don't know how long."

"I'm still making them too..."

"That's not the point! We've been okonomiyaki sellers for so long that it just doesn't seem right..."

"Well... Maybe you'd like to see all the money we made!"

"I don't... 'Money'?" the chef asked, turning around slowly.

"Yeah! Let me show you!" the marionette told her and pulled out the morning proceeds.

For a moment, Ukyo thought that she heard the sound of a cash register going off as she looked at the yen being shown before her. Usually she had to work half of her normal morning work to get to that sort of level and the idea of making that much without having to do any of the work herself was alluring. "All this just by opening early and making pancakes?"

"Yup! Isn't it so nice of them?"

"I guess... Maybe it's not so bad to make... pancakes."

"That's wonderful!" Mihoshi exclaimed and leaned over as far as she could to serve a broadly grinning man at the counter.

"What are you doing?" Ukyo asked flatly.

"Serving the customers..."

"But why did you put it practically in his lap?"

"I don't know why," the blonde replied with a shrug, "but the guys give really big tips when I do."

Covering her face with her hand, the resturant owner groaned. "We're going to have to talk about that."

"We will?"

"Yes, but later."

"Oh... okay."

Ukyo rolled her eyes helplessly for a moment, then set to work

Ifurita 1.5: Tatewaki Kuno x8? [Episode 77184]

by Kestral

Ranma woke up abruptly. He looked over at Kodachi. He looked over at Nabiki. He was sandwiched between two girls?

"Mmmmm. Good morning, Ranma-kun," mumbled Nabiki, her hand sliding down his chest to rest on a sensitive portion of anatomy.

Kodachi breathed along his neck and up to his ear. "Good morning, Ranma-sama. Did you want... anything?"

Ranma woke up with a start. Huh? Oh. A dream. Gak! That'd been embarassing.

As soon as he got up though - he'd have to go downstairs and he just knew they'd be waiting for him. How could he do this? Fake an illness? No - they'd just want to play "nurse". Sneak out? Maybe - but that meant foregoing breakfast.

What to do?

Akane woke up, convinced it had all been just a bad dream.

At ease now, she merely went outside and filled a bucket with cold water. One of the high points of her day was about to begin. Waking up Ranma from whatever sick pervert dream he'd had. She always felt better after yelling at him.

"Oh good morning, Akane!"

Akane stopped and slowly turned. Ifurita was hanging the wash this morning.

"If you're looking for Kasumi, she decided to take a few minutes and get some early morning shopping done." Ifurita continued to hang clothes while talking. "I think Nabiki is still in her room and I haven't seen Kodachi - so she might still be at the Kuno mansion."

Kodachi avoided the sword swipe. "Brother dear. If you insist on this attitude, I shall be most vexed with you."

"Where is my real sister?!" Kuno attempted to press his attack but the robot merely grabbed his bokken in one hand and held it there against his struggles.

The other hand came up and lightly pressed against her brother's forehead.

hssssst!

Kodachi held the pose for a few moments, then leapt back. "Brother dear. I am the real Kodachi. My original body was destroyed in an accident by Akane Tendo. I took the opportunity to make myself far more powerful and faster."

The clouds in Tatewaki Kuno's mind rolled back momentarily under the force of the medicine Kodachi had just injected him with. "What?"

"It is possible to be reincarnated through a process that leaves you with an android form, my brother," explained Kodachi. "When I was killed by Akane, I opted to live. Unfortunately Akane modified the set up - leaving me with this hengeyokai form."

"So, you are truly my sister," said Tatewaki, lowering the bokken. "You are faster than you were."

"Faster, stronger, eternally young," agreed Kodachi. "However there is always a price."

"Yes, twas most costly to obtain these new strike troops," admitted Kuno, snapping his fingers.

Tatewaki Kuno stepped out of an alcove. Followed by Tatewaki Kuno stepping out of a doorway. Followed by Tatewaki Kuno and another and another and another.

"How many of them did you have made?" Kodachi asked.

"The final number agreed upon was seven - auspicious is it not?"

Kodachi smiled and her tail swished behind her. "I shall have to tell Akane Tendo that there are now eight of you to protect her."

All the Tatewaki brandished bokken to the ceiling in the same pose.

The original nodded. "So mote it be!"

Kodachi wondered if perhaps seeing Akane greeted by this sight at school would put the poor child into shock. It might be amusing.

Ranma slowly crept out the door. Down the stairs.

"Ah, Ranma. You're just in time," said Nabiki without glancing up from the table.

"Uh oh," said Ranma.

Ifurita 1.5: Around The Tables [Episode 77425]

by Kender

There had been times when Nabiki had gotten up earlier than him, especially with his preference in sleeping in. Seeing her in her school uniform at the table was something usual. Having her not looking up at his entrance was something that had happened before.

But seeing her setting up the table for the morning meal wasn't something that he was used to.

"What's going on?" he asked.

In the middle of putting a bowl down, Nabiki looked up and smiled. "I made you some breakfast."

"Huh?! You cooked?!"

"I had to, seeing as Kasumi decided to go out to get a bit of shopping done."

"But you don't cook..."

"Actually, I can, but I just don't like to, and I'm not anywhere close to my big sis in that department."

"So... you cooked?"

"Yes, but it's a bit plain, though edible," the middle Tendo daughter told him.

"You had to cook?"

"Well... it was me or Akane here, and I decided that since I wanted to do something nice for you, I'd make breakfast."

It was then that the pigtailed boy noticed his fiancee hunched over at the table and giving a dark look at what was on top of it.

"But I wanted to make it," Akane muttered.

"I just beat you to it," her sister replied airly. "Now, I think it's time to eat, don't you?"

Glancing at the scene before him, Ranma's mind ran as he took what he was seeing in. Nabiki had made him breakfast, which was wierd, though was following recent events, he could expect. She'd love it if he ate her food, but it'd get Akane mad at him. But if he refused, then he'd hurt the sister who'd made it, and the other would want to cook for him. However, if she did that, she'd give him something, that while better than it had been, was still not something that came close to bringing health and vigor. And if he refused both, then he'd be in trouble with both, and would go hungry.

So, he made the only choice he had and gave Nabiki a false smile. "Ummm... I guess it's time ta dig in..."

"Great!" the transformed girl told him and manuvered him to sit at his spot. "Don't worry, I'm going to make certain that you are well fed, okay."

The pigtailed boy looked at the bright expression on Nabiki's face, and the scowl on Akane's and chuckled nervously.

Cologne hopped among the tables and gazed over the first customers of the morning. There would be others as the commuters came in on their way to work, and students stopped in on their trips to school. But for the moment, it was quiet with the regulars who tended to come in at this time of morning, even with the growing sounds of what was happening outside.

"Excuse me," came a voice, interrupting her thoughts, "But are you Matriarch Cologne?"

The Elder turned and looked at her visitor. "Why yes, I am. May I help you?"

"I was sent by Cyberdyne."

"Ah, yes. You must be the village defense unit."

"That I am," replied

Ifurita 1.5: Shamtwo? Well, maybe they'll work out a better name [Episode 77444]

by Kestral

When Kumiko had interpreted Cologne's order, the idea had been for something that could defend a village from modern threats such as Cologne had listed. Then, because this was Cyberdyne, she had added likely near future threats.

Anti-missile, anti-bioweapon, anti-alien invasion, anti-nuclear, anti-demonic invasion, anti-ecological disaster, anti-satellite weapon, anti-chemical weapon, etc. There were a wide variety of threats that had to be addressed by a single defense system.

This was a tall order, and it would cost quite a bit. You had to factor in though that Cyberdyne was there primarily to establish a defense - and so defending a remote village was quite within their mission parameters.

If it had merely been troops, tanks, and the occasional demonic squadron - Kumiko had a number of units that could do the job. One unit who could perform all these duties? That was a bit trickier.

Cologne had sold her image data after some considerable "dickering" and it had proven to be quite extensive. The physical appearance was taken from her memories, so it would indeed be the young Cologne.

That would come later though. For now, someone who could perform a decent job of defending an Amazon village was needed.

Fortunately, they had a system that should do the job - it was merely a matter of setting up the correct housing.

"You're the village defense unit?" Cologne asked. "How would you defend against a nuclear missile?"

"I would have to defend the village by erecting a force shield," said the copy of Shampoo. "Which would require some advance notice. Are you expecting such?"

"No, but one tries to prepare for the worst," admitted Cologne.

"Understood." Shamtwo said. "Other than that, I'm an upgraded Sabre unit with density control capabilities."

"That's nice, dear, we can go over your capabilities over some tea." Cologne paused. "As well as the possibility of a name change."

Ifurita 1.5: Attack Of The Clones [Episode 77503]

by Kender

It was an odd trio that made its way towards Furinkan High School mainly because it was usually a duo. Normally only Akane and Ranma made a mad dash to get to the school on time, but with the inclusion of Nabiki on this trip, it was both early and with less of an immediate need to arrive.

Akane looked towards her sister occassionally and growled under her breath. The older Tendo was constantly around her idiot pervert of a fiancee, and kept on hanging onto him like some lovesick puppy! Not that the youngest Tendo cared. Nope, not her! Even if they were being stupid jerks.

Nabiki smiled happily to herself as she walked. She had her master, who didn't want to be a master, which was wonderful as she had realised the sort of figures she could have gone to. Instead she had this wonderful young man who was so kind and generous.

Stuck as he was, Ranma shuffled along and wondered what the heck had happened. There he was, walking with two girls, one of whom he owned and the other who likely wanted to introduce him to the next manhole cover. Things had gotten very odd very quickly and he couldn't help but ask himself what else could happen?

"Halt there, foul sorcerer and be punished!" chorused a series of voices that sounded exactly the same.

'Oh yeah,' the pigtailed boy thought irritably, 'there's that.'

"What the heck?!" barked Akane as she stopped and stared in shock, "Eight Kunos?! EIGHT?!"

"Know this fair Akane, that I have allowed the use of mine visage so that I might have that which will allow me to finally succeed in vanquishing the vile creature that has you ensnared!" boomed what had to be the real Kuno, "For as the heavens themselves do proclaim, one with the appearance of a warrior such as myself can never be defeated!"

"One of you was bad enough, but eight?!"

"The cretin known as Saotome might have been capable of driving the powers of darkness so that he might blind the will of the heavens, but with my strength multiplied by such an auspicious number, I can not help but gain that which so richly deserve! Come now, and be with the one that you truly belong with!"

"Huzzah!" went the copy-Kunos.

"Yes... But let us go forth and secure my love!" Kuno declared, and pointed his bokken at the youngest Tendo.

Staring at the charging mass of identical swordsmen, all wearing the same face, Akane did the only thing that a schoolgirl could do when faced with that sort of nightmare.

She screamed and panicked.

Her schoolbag came up and hit a Kuno-bot in the jaw... popping its head off and flying into the bushes.

"Eeeek!" went Akane as she watched the robot wander around without a head.

"Ummm..," Ranma murmured as three Kunos came after him, "Nabiki, I think that..."

"I'll leave you to your work, Ranma-kun," the transformed girl replied as she withdrew to a safe distance.

The pigtailed boy nodded and ducked under a strike. A kick sent one flying into a wall. Dodging several swipes from another, he knocked away its weapon (and hand), and then used it as a shield to block the third. Shoving them at each other sent them into a tangle of limbs, some attatched and others not.

Having gotten rid of his attackers, Ranma turned his attention back to his fiancee.

Who seemed to have yanked an arm from one of the copies and was using it like a club. Whipping one across the jaw, she kicked the legs out of another one and went right into a mule kick into the chest of a third. She twitched as she saw the legless one try to crawl beneath her, and grabbed a still standing Kuno copy to bash it into submission. Dropping that one, she was left with the one that now had its jaw out of whack, but wasn't about to allow it to get her, so she used her bag to pound it into submission.

"Baka!" Upside the head. "Stupid!" Into the chest. "Creepy!" Across the shoulders. "PERVERTS!" Punctuated with a slam upside the body that sent the robot copy flying and the sound to echo across the school grounds.

"My fair Akane! Allow me to comfort you in your hour of distress!" called out the real Kuno as he ran to her.

Akane merely snapped her foot out in a kick that intercepted him before he could arrive.

And by the expression on his face, those watching could tell that it had landed someplace very sensitive, and he hadn't been wearing any protection.

"Ouch..," went a wincing Ranma as he cautiously approached his fiancee, "Are ya okay Akane?"

"Okay..?" she murmured and smiled at him, "Me? I'm just peachy."

"Ya... are?"

"Sure... I just got attacked by lots of Kunos. Lots and lots of Kunos... Eight!"

"Umm... You don't sound ta good..."

"You're wrong... Absolutely, one hundred percent wrong! Look at me!" she said and began skipping along, "La di di dee..."

He caught up with her before she could get far. "Hey, those were only robots."

"They were?"

"That perverted jerk brought 'em."

"You don't have robot copies?"

"Nope."

"Oh... good..," she murmured, and fainted in his arms.

Suddenly burdened with an unconscious schoolgirl, he looked around helplessly for a moment. Then, realizing that he had to do something, he picked her up and bit his lip in concern.

"Looks like she's been a bit overwhelmed," Nabiki commented as she walked up.

"So, what d'we do?" Ranma asked.

"Take her to the nurse's office and let her rest, I suppose."

"Good idea, let's go."

"You're the boss."

Repressing a shiver, the pigtailed boy carried the youngest Tendo inside, with her sister trailing behind,

Ifurita 1.5: Sleeping Akane and the Eight Kuno [Episode 77588]

by Kestral

Akane dreamed.

There she was, with eight Tatewaki Kuno proclaiming their love for her and throwing roses. She struggled forward, the roses somehow becoming a storm of red petals that rose up around her even as she tried to get free.

Finally she felt someone pull her free from the red petals and it was Ranma!

Then Ranma turned from her to go off with Nabiki and Kodachi and Ifurita, and all three girls had clockwork keys sticking out of their backs.

Akane started running after them, yelling for someone's attention. Kasumi asked what Akane was doing.

Akane turned to her one anchor in this sea of chaos and screamed. There was Ranma, winding Kasumi up with some clockwork key!

Ukyo and Shampoo stood on pedestals in the background, and looking at the plaques proclaimed them to be a new series of girlfriend. Forever young, stronger and smarter and more skilled than the original.

Akane backed up and hit another pillar. Spinning around, she saw her own self on the pedestal - but she was old and plump and wrinkled!

Her gaze went down to the plaque. [The original Akane Tendo, an inferior model, abandoned by all.]

"But if that's me, then who am I?" Akane asked the sagging old woman on the pedestal. "Who (klik) am (whirr) I-I-I-i... ?"

Two hands grasped something at her back. "Don't worry my love. I can wind you back up."

Akane looked back at Tatewaki Kuno, nearly paralyzed, aware that if he turned her key she would be HIS.

"AHHHHHHHHH! NOOOOOO!" Akane screamed, coming awake and lashing out. WHAM!

Ranma fell over with a crash.

"Smooth move, Akane," said Nabiki with a frown. "He was just trying to get you comfortable."

"It was just a dream?" Akane asked hopefully.

"Eight Tatewaki Kuno? Nope. Though those are really simple units, Akane. The 'Rock-em-Sock-em Robots' variety. Just think, if he'd gone top-of-the-line, he would have beat you. Saved by his posturing and the fact that most of Kuno-baby's assets are tied up in non-liquidible forms," said Nabiki.

"I don't think so," said Akane. "I could've beat him."

"Try fighting Ifurita some time. Just challenge her to sparring." Nabiki scowled at her sister. "Akane. If you don't accept that a combat grade android is going to be stronger and faster than you, you'll end up in deep trouble eventually."

"Hah, as if," muttered Akane.

"Or you could keep slapping Ranma-kun around and I might demonstrate," muttered Nabiki.

Akane's eyes flicked out momentarily but she couldn't have heard what she'd thought she'd heard.

Smoothing out her skirt, Nabiki lifted Ranma easily to one of the other beds. "Classes have already started, Akane. Better hurry."

Ifurita 1.5: Dealing With Pains [Episode 78136]

by Kender

Opening his eyes was something that Genma immediately regretted. From the moments that his eyelids parted, a blaze of light was sent shooting right in between them and into his brain. He immediately shut them, but the pain stayed, and was exacerbated by all the noise going on around him.

When he heard a massive moan come from off to his side, it took him a moment to recognise who it was. "Tendo... not so loud..."

That managed to keep Soun occupied for a moment as trying to focus on his friend's complaint took his attention from his own agony. He had thought that he hadn't enough energy to manage to do anything, unless it was weakly. "Sorry Saotome..."

"'S okay..," the other father soothed, and attempted to nod reassuringly, immediately regretting it. "Oh my head..."

"What did we do?"

"I don't know old friend, but this is pure agony..."

"I'm dying..."

"We must be..."

"Why must we suffer..?" the Tendo patriarch whined.

"I do not know... I simply do not know..."

"OH!" came a familiar voice, "You're awake!" "Please..."

"Kasumi," her father pleaded, "Cease all the noise..."

"I'm sorry," the eldest Tendo girl replied, "I did not know."

"We hurt so much..."

"Don't worry. Ifurita and I will have you both back to perfect health."

"Just... tell the others to stop it..."

"Stop what? No one else is here, and it's been almost silent here," she said as she moved gracefully and quietly out of the room.

"Did she have to rush..?" whined Genma.

Sitting over the unconscious form of Ranma, Nabiki gazed at him and smiled to herself. She'd always known that he would make a good catch, if one that needed some work, but until her conversion, she had never really considered it. After all, he was fighter and a jock, and she wasn't really into it unless she could make a couple of bucks. But now... she couldn't help but be concerned about him. Here was a guy that could order her around all he wanted, but found that he could not do something like that to her.

Oh, she knew that it was something that had happened to her, but it didn't change much. And it gave her so much more at the same time.

As she looked around the room, she could see so much more in the things around her. Such as the loudspeaker that she could amp up with only a bit of tape, a pair of pliers and a few minutes. Or the bed which she could make into motorized one with the proper equipment. She could even go into a song if she wanted.

Yet only one of them came into play as she looked over the boy who happened to be her owner. He looked to be in a bit of pain, and she found that she wanted to do something about it. But she didn't know what, until she remembered one of the skills that she had been given.

"Don't worry Master," she whispered, "Nabiki the Masseuse will make it all better..."

He made little sound as she got up from her seat and and leaned over him. The tips of her fingers found his temples and began to massage them, pushing the pain away. Slowly her hands moved down, stroking his face, rubbing the tension from his neck and kneading his shoulders. There had always been a tenseness even while he slept normally, but her skills were gently working it away, allowing him to relax on the bed.

Seeing that, Nabiki smiled, and continued to massage his body, going down his body in a constant soothing rhythm,

Ifurita 1.5: Pigs in spaaaaace! [Episode 78176]

by Kestral

"Who you?!" Shampoo demanded, her hair attempting to stand up.

"I have been designated Shamtwo," said Shamtwo. "You are my original?"

Shampoo looked her duplicate up and down, trying to get her heartrate under control again and aware of her great grandmother's amusement on some level. "Is so. You is ro - android?"

"That is correct," said Shamtwo.

"You do anything Shampoo not able?" Shampoo asked.

"I am capable of a large variety of skills and roles," said Shamtwo, beginning to copy body language of her original. "I have six languages that I'm fluent in. I'm aware of six martial arts styles and have the ability to alter my density from ghost-like to solid duralloy."

"Oh," said Shampoo. "And you be young and look like Shampoo thousand year from now?"

"Yes," agreed Shamtwo, not sure where this was going.

"Okay, first lesson. You see stupid Duckboy he not to touch or grab. He insist but is no tolerate!" Shampoo made sure this point was considered. "We no need see him check you out see if you have bigger hoo-hoos than Shampoo."

Shamtwo glanced at the matriarch who nodded. "Very well. Who is 'Duckboy'?"

"Is Mousse," said Shampoo.

"Mousse - childhood friend who mistakes cows, pigs, other livestock, statues, and balloon vendors for Original. Martial artist who practices Hidden Weapon style. Known for fits of violent jealousy and the occasional showing of deeper feelings, though often without consideration for Original's feelings," said Shamtwo as she accessed the image data. "Jusenkyo cursed form - Duck."

"Is good!"

"So you don't have any problem with the village defender looking like you?" Cologne asked.

"Is okay," said Shampoo. "Thousand year from now - people see proud Amazon woman and know is copy of Shampoo. So Shampoo have mixed feelings on. Is good, but also is bit creepy."

"BWEEEEEE!"

Captain James T. Kirk sighed and touched an intercom.

"Uhura here."

"Lieutenant, your pig wandered into my room despite the locked door again. Interrupting a delicate diplomatic negotiation. Again. If he does this a third time, we may have to consider a luau."

"Oh... dear."

"Give me another hour to complete negotiations before you come get him." Captain Kirk shook his head and lifted the piglet by the bandana and placed him in the bathroom.

The ambassador shook her head. "I had no idea that a starship captain had such... pedestrian concerns on his plate."

Kirk had studied the Caitian culture enough to make a gesture denoting fatalistic-acceptance-with-humor. The ambassador purr-trilled a laugh.

"Now," said the Captain with a twinkle in his eye. "We were discussing reasons that the Caitians should join the Federation, weren't we?"

The ambassador purred low in her throat. "Yes. Why don't you try convincing me some morrre? Why do they call you James 'Tomcat' Kirrrk?"

"There you go, Mister Tendo," said a pleasant voice.

The girl's gentle but firm touch, massaging shoulders and neck, moving to the temples and base of the skull, seemed to produce a wave of comforting sensation that began washing away the spikes of pain driven through his skull.

Odd though, that voice. If he could just... "ACK!"

"Now you, Mister Saotome," said Kodachi, moving to the thicker bodied parent and beginning her work.

Soun Tendo stared as the Kuno girl acted... kindly?! "You?"

"Yes," said Kodachi, her fox ears flicking back as she worked. "Oh, you've got a knot of tension right there, Mister Saotome. Just relax."

Soun continued to stare. "You seem... I'm not sure how to put it."

"More sure of my place in the universe? More at ease with myself?" Kodachi deftly pinched a section of skin, letting the selected medication get into her patient's bloodstream. Low level muscle relaxant and pain killer. Combined with the massaging action to relax blood vessels and begin healing.

"Well," began Soun trying to find a way of stating that she seemed less scary and more sane somehow. Despite the fox ears and tail.

"ooooo," was Genma's reaction.

Nabiki saw Ranma wake up. Nabiki saw Ranma dash from the room.

Nabiki said something unpleasant as a tender moment was quite thoroughly squashed. Phooey.

Well, she had classes anyway.

Hmmm. Maybe if she ran across Akane she ought to remind her that it was her first day as "Miss Part-time" - though if she missed it there would likely be a bunch of Akane-chan units running around soon.

Ah well, not her concern.

Ifurita 1.5: Firey Spirit [Episode 78703]

by Kender

It had been running through Akane's mind while she had been sitting in class. There had been plenty for her to worry about as she sat there, what with having everything go out of whack in the past day. Until the previous day, she had known what was what, and had her expectations set in stone. But now it was terribly wierd, and her fiancee owned her sister and that loon Kodachi. And she had been set upon by eight Kunos!

She was being outclassed and left behind because of the robots, and she didn't like it. They just seemed like they could do so much, and no one expected her to keep up. At this rate, she would be forgotten and the others would be left. Even her own sister thought that she couldn't equal these androids.

Yet, she couldn't allow that to happen. She had to do something to prove that she was just as good as these machine girls. They had so much going for them, but she had lots of skill and she was a martial artist, which no mere robot could duplicate!

Slowly her spirits rose as she began to realise that her sister had a good idea, in part. If she could just show that she could handle a 'match' with Ifurita, then she would make them realise that she was just as good as the marionettes! That would remove all doubts as to her abilities and those of those from the store!

Charged up about her decision, she got up from her chair, slammed a hand onto her desk and declared, "I will show them that I can beat a robot any day!"

"That's all well and nice," drawled the teacher, "But you might want to explain what that has to do with the Law of Conservation."

Looking around, the youngest Tendo laughed nervously as she slipped back down into her seat at the sight of all the students in the class looking at her. "Eeep... Nothing..."

"I see. Well, perhaps we should have a discussion about when to make speeches. After class, of course."

"Yes sir..."

Once school, and the detention that she had earned, were over, Akane made a beeline for home, intent on making certain that the embarrassment from earlier in the day would not be meaningless. She would make sure that she was proven right, and that she wasn't left in the dust. Nothing was going to dissuade her from going on with her plan, and she wasn't about to do anything else to risk losing out on this chance.

She just wondered why she felt as if she was forgetting something...

Ifurita 1.5: Akane's challenge [Episode 78866]

by Kestral

Kumiko checked the time. Miss Tendo should be getting done with school. She had a uniform all picked out, much like the uniform that Kumiko wore: knee length skirt and vest of dark blue, white blouse underneath, company logo on one side with her name in romanji and katakana on the other. Sensible flat demi-boots.

Certainly nothing that Kumiko could foresee a problem with. Typical wear for the sales floor. Of course there was the belt with the little boxes on it. Universal translator, force field projector, homing beacon, projector system. All perfectly normal for humans working the register.

"So why me?" asked the obviously mechanical android.

"Because until she gets the hang of working here, we have to keep in mind that she probably has never spent much time outside a hundred miles of her home. She strikes me as being very provincial, especially for a low-grade superhuman."

The mechanical snorted. "And you're gonna give her a chance to pay off her debt by working for us. Yeesh. When did we start takin' charity cases?"

"Glitch? Shut up."

"Ah, your main processor wears DOS boots."

Kasumi was reading a book. Ifurita was trying to get the hang of sewing. Ranma was somewhere else trying to ignore Nabiki and Kodachi.

"Ifurita! I challenge you!"

The android looked up from where she was trying to repair a gi. "Excuse me?"

"I challenge you!" repeated Akane, making a few punching gestures in case there was still any doubt.

"Why?" Ifurita asked, still puzzled.

"Because I'm challenging you!" Akane insisted.

"That doesn't make any sense," complained Ifurita.

"Are you a coward?" tried Akane.

Ifurita blinked and turned towards her operator. "Did I miss something?"

"She's challenging you to a fight," explained Kasumi. "Akane's a very sweet girl, though a bit of a violent maniac. She probably feels the need to prove that she's able to defend herself adequately despite the number of times she's gotten kidnapped."

"Hey, it's only happened a few times," complained Akane.

"Let's see, there was Mousse. Taro. Kirin..." mused Kasumi.

"That doesn't count!" insisted Akane.

"...once on the roof by Master Happosai, oh and I mustn't forget Mister Toma," continued Kasumi. "I'm not sure about the time you were in that school play."

"Grrrr," growled Akane as she remembered something unpleasant.

Ifurita looked at Akane. "It sounds like you need a bodyguard. So why are you trying to fight me?"

"Oh, and Nabiki told me that once that nice Gosunkugi boy kidnapped you and used you to lure Ranma into a pit of cats," continued Kasumi.

"Definitely does not count," insisted Akane.

"Ailurophobe?" asked Ifurita.

"Ranma actually has a good reason for being afraid of cats," admitted Kasumi.

Akane growled again. "Can we get back to me proving that I'm better than some robot?"

"Miss Tendo, I'm stronger, faster, and have better stamina than you. I can fly and have the ability to destroy cities or copy any attack used against me." Ifurita shook her head. "I fail to see what good can come out of me fighting you."

Akane tried to think of something when a memory slid into place. "I have to be sure you can defend my sister!"

Kasumi smiled at her younger sister. "My goodness, Akane, you made that actually sound halfway plausible."

Ifurita carefully put the sewing aside. "Very well, Miss Tendo. If you so desire, we shall begin this fight. I shall prove that I am capable of defending your sister."

Akane smiled, finally she'd be able to show everyone.

Ifurita 1.5: Over Attentions [Episode 79107]

by Kender

As he leapt to the property wall of the Tendo Dojo, Happosai was a happy old pervert. He'd been on a trip around town for the last several days, and had visited all sorts of pretty ladies as he'd gone. There had been plenty of loving carresses and cuddles that he'd gotten, and they'd had all sorts of pretties just waiting for him to collect. Why they had followed when they found out that he was trying to leave!

But now it was time for him to return back home and make certain that his lazy students kept up on their training, and to make certain some of his favorite lovelies didn't miss his presence too much.

He leapt down from the wall and walked along, smiling at his luck. It was so nice to be able to go along without having any annoying interruptions from kids trying to keep an old man from having his fun. Now he could simply head to his room and properly care for his newest 'aquisitions'.

The sounds of voices made him stop however. He still wanted to go put away his things, but it just wouldn't be proper for him to forget to greet the others, now would it? So he leapt into the dojo, and grinned at the sight that was there. Little Akane-chan was standing in a ready position, wearing that gi that was tight enough to hug her curves, but was loose enough for him to get under for a better cuddle. Which meant that there was only one thing that he had to do.

"So are you ready?" the youngest Tendo asked, her eldest sister standing nearby.

"I'm always ready, Akane-chan!" Happosai declared and leapt onto her bosom.

"AAAAHHHH!"

"Oh, how wonderful of you to greet me so!"

"Get off!"

"Umm... What is this?" asked a new, definately feminine, voice.

Turning his head from where he had been nuzzling Akane, the old pervert looked towards the source of the voice... and stared. "Oh my..."

The vision of beauty pursed her lips as she looked at him. "What are you doing?"

"Just getting a bit of cuddling in my golden years, young lady, whomever you are..."

"My name is Ifurita, and it doesn't seem like you're cuddling."

"But I am... And you look like such a caring woman."

"Uhh... Thanks, I suppose."

"Why don't I let you care for me!"

"Pardon..!" Ifurita went, just as she found the small... whatever it was with its face pressed in between her cleaveage.

"This is but heaven!"

"What do you think you're doing?!"

"I'm just introducing myself, nothing else."

"More like you're being a pervert!" Akane snarled, "Interrupting the start of our challenge so you can feel us up!"

"When would I do something like that?"

"All the time! And not only that, but you probably have a ton of stolen panties and bras in that bag of yours!"

"Of course not!"

"He steals women's underwear?" asked Ifurita.

"I do not! How can I help it if ladies just leave their lovelies to be picked up by me!"

"Out of their drawers?!" barked Akane.

"Well..."

Ifurita looked to her operator. "Is this true?"

"Grandfather Happosai always brings home plenty of underwear, but he's so nice about it," Kasumi said with a bit of a shrug, "He washes, dries and irons them himself. But there do seem to be a lot of girls who chase after him..."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah!" agreed the youngest Tendo, "Even when we lock up at school, he breaks in!"

"Oh, come now," Happosai said, leaping down to the floor and giving the silver haired beauty a teary eyed gaze, "Would a harmless little old man like me do something that would get people angry at him?"

Ifurita narrowed her eyes at him. "What is that hanging out of your clothing?"

"This?" he asked, pulling out a plain cotton garment, "It's nothing."

"That's my bra!" screeched Akane, as she covered her chest with her arms.

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of it."

"I see..," Ifurita murmured.

"Then you understand?"

"I do, and I will give you what you deserve."

"Thank you!" Happosai declared and leapt up to embrace her.

Instead of coming face to bosom however, he was met head on by a key staff. It sent him crashing to the floorboards, too dazed and confused to get out of the way of the two following hits and the jab with the end.

At which point, his two 'loving' students popped up and began to stuff him into a box labled for shipment to the Galapagos Islands.

"You... you..." Akane began.

"I only did what I had to," the silver haired Demon-God commented, "I could have simply blasted him, but this was non-lethal, not going to cause other casualties, and is much easier to clean up."

"Why thank you!" Kasumi said cheerfully.

"You're welcome."

"Bu... but..," went the younger sister.

Twirling her staff a bit, Ifurita gave a serious gaze to the human schoolgirl. "I hope you see that it wouldn't be terribly wise to fight me."

Glancing from where the fathers were cackling over their 'good fortune', and the android girl that her jerk of a fiancee had brought, Akane considered her options

Ifurita 1.5: Android plans of good intention [Episode 79137]

by Kestral

"She's quite late," noted Kumiko.

"Probably scared off," opined Glitch.

"Perhaps I should send someone to remind her, perhaps the amount she owed, that she was to start work today - it all slipped her mind." Kumiko suggested.

"She wouldn't have been able to handle it anyway, those provincial gals would just fall apart on seeing their first n-dimensional or multiplanar being. Bet she wouldn't even last a week."

Kumiko glared at Glitch. "Stakes?"

"Hmmm," said Glitch, the blue glow of his optical sensors regarding the salesclerk. "If I win, you've got to give me an oil change. Personally. None of the cheap stuff either."

"Ick," said Kumiko with evident distaste. "What do I get if Miss Tendo continues working past the end of a week?"

Glitch snorted a burst of steam. "Let's see. How about if she makes it past the week, I give you an oil change?"

"I'm a synthetic, I don't use petroleum distillates." Kumiko shook her head. "How about you put in for a transfer to Retail to that store in Galactic Hub D240?"

"Done, though I only say that because there's absolutely no chance of you winning," said Glitch.

Kumiko silently crossed her fingers, waiting for Miss Tendo to show up. Any moment now would be good.

Akane went into a basic stance.

Ifurita whipped her staff around and held it ready.

"Oh yes. Begin," said Kasumi.

Akane spun and began a circle kick.

Ifurita blocked with her staff. "Basic martial arts. Using momentum and leverage to increase the kinetic energy released at point of impact."

Akane shifted to punch.

Ifurita blocked with her staff. "Please don't make me humiliate you."

Akane grabbed the staff and pushed back, aiming to roll and then throw the machine through a wall.

Ifurita stood there, not moving an inch, as Akane threw all of her weight against the android. "I really don't want to hurt you, Miss Tendo."

Now with her hands on the staff and her feet pressing against Ifurita's middle, Akane was grunting as she tried to use all her strength to move the staff.

Ifurita began walking out of the dojo.

Akane gave short grunts, eyes closed and teeth clenched as she tried to wrest the staff away.

With a gentle acceleration, Ifurita began climbing in altitude.

Akane grunted as she shifted to try to get leverage.

"Oh dear, I hope they won't be late for supper," said Kasumi as her sister and bodyguard disappeared into the clear blue sky.

"As you can see, Miss Tendo, I can fly. As I stated. I have a physical strength several orders higher than your own. Do you see why I suggested you not fight me? Miss Tendo?"

"Mph!" Akane grunted, covered in cold sweat with her face turning scarlet. "Almost there."

"Miss Tendo, we're currently at 45,000 feet. Surely you'll avoid continuing this battle now." Ifurita was waiting for a sign of surrender. Surely this human wasn't so stubborn that she would contest this further. Ifurita was hoping that this way she wouldn't even have to strike a blow.

Ifurita 1.5: Skydiving Sans Parachute [Episode 79414]

by Kender

If there was anything similar in the fighting styles of Akane Tendo and her fiancee, it was that neither of them knew when to give up. Even when the odds were stacked against them, they would continue to go no matter what, convinced that some way they would be able to succeed. Except for one minor difference.

Ranma tended to adapt his style when it became clear that the current method wasn't working. Akane at times could be like one Tatewakei Kuno, making her oblivious to this, and could be like a bulldog holding onto a bone.

Which was why she was currently trying to use her feet for leverage as she pulled at the staff with a sheen of sweat was covering her entire body. She continued to huff and puff, trying to get the staff away from her opponent so that she could prove that she was better than some robot. That would make everyone admit it, and she wouldn't get left behind for a bunch of upgraded models, not her.

The only problem was that as her palms got slick with sweat, her hands lost their grip.

Now, in a situation like this, those from 'Dragonball' universes who'd had been taught the technique would have floated away to prepare for their next attempt. Even those who had only a similar method for flight would have done so, and would have been perfectly fine. They would have been prepared for the situation and ready to continue.

Unfortunately for her, the youngest Tendo wasn't. She had never met a Saiya-jin. There was no fusion with this universe and a 'Dragonball' one. To top it all off, the closest that she'd managed to get to a 'flying' technique was roofhopping.

That was the reason that she discovered that even Neriman martial artists had to obey the Law of Gravity.

"Huh?" went Akane as she blindly searched for some purchase to stand and face her opponent. And then she looked down. "AAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIiiiieeeeeeeeeee..."

Ifurita, realising that it would be a definate bad thing to allow her opponent, sister to her operator and fiancee to her owner or not, to become intimate with the ground from such a height. So she flew down to intercept the girl befor it was too late.

The schoolgirl, having been rather disturbed as she had seen the tops of clouds before falling through them covered her face with her arms as the ground grew bigger. She knew that it wasn't going to help, but she was panicking and wasn't about to allow physics to disturb her attempts at selfpreservation. It was scary, it was going to be painful and she wished that it wasn't going to be her.

But then the falling stopped and she felt a hand around her ankle. Looking up at the individual keeping her from becoming a puddle on the landscape, she stared as she saw Ifurita holding her aloft with apparent ease.

"Are you ready to end this pointless fight or do you wish to put yourself through more needless danger?" the Demon-God asked her.

Despite the embarrasing postion of being held thousands of feet in the air by one ankle, and thus having her legs spread and her gi top falling to her breasts, Akane merely nodded weakly.

"Good," came the reply.

"You... win..," Akane muttered... and fainted.

Sighing, Ifurita moved the girl around so that she could put her over one shoulder, as it wouldn't do to scare her operator or owner. Once she had, she headed back to the dojo

Ifurita 1.5: Parental Wisdom [Episode 79457]

by Kestral

"Any minute now," said Kumiko, a slight twitch developing.

Glitch's face wasn't constructed to be able to smile smugly. He merely gave that impression.

Akane, having passed out in her fight with Ifurita, dreamed.

Akane was there in the house.

A clock's hands spun by in a blur on the mantle. She turned to ask someone about that.

Kasumi, her father, Mister Saotome - they were all aging before her eyes! Hair turned gray and brittle and lines moved over Kasumi's once soft skin. Her father's hair turned gray and he collapsed as his chain smoking caught up with him. She could see his grave in the backyard.

Mister Saotome fared a little better, but soon he collapsed too.

Kasumi finished aging apparently, frail and shrunken - hunched over and with her hands curled up in arthritis just like Akane had seen Mrs Yamazari before she had collapsed. Kasumi even had one of those little walker things.

Nabiki and Ifurita, looking as young and vibrant as ever, went to Kasumi's side and wheeled her off, ignoring Akane's shouted questions.

When Akane went forward to physically stop them from taking Kasumi away, she noticed her own hands.

Old hands. Wrinkled and spotted and trembling, the misshapen lumps that had been breaks incurred during martial arts training clearly visible through the withered skin.

Her hands came up to confirm what she already knew. She herself was old and wrinkled, withered inside and out. She slowly began shuffling after the two, intent on getting answers.

Now Ifurita and Nabiki came back, and with Kasumi as she had been at nineteen instead of the withered wreck she had become at approximately age seventy.

Looking at her, Akane knew. Now Kasumi was a robot as well. Eternally young and beautiful and happy.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" WHAM!

Ranma landed on the ground. "Someone remind me next time I'm checking on her when she's asleep. Not to."

Nabiki and Kodachi blinked, finding themselves recording that.

Akane looked around. Nabiki standing next to a Kodachi that had a fox tail and fox ears. Kasumi looking a little surprised. Ifurita looking unhappy.

"Kasumi! Don't do it! Even if you get old and wrinkled and dying with you curled up in constant pain! Don't turn yourself into an android!"

"Huh?" asked Kasumi, Nabiki, Ifurita, Ranma, and Kodachi.

"I... wasn't planning on it," said Kasumi, though frankly as she thought of the two alternatives it didn't really sound that bad.

Soun opened the door and blinked. "Did someone order a 400 ton war machine?"

The Warhammer mecha leaned down. "Pardon me, Mister Tendo sir. Is Akane Tendo coming to work or not?"

"No, I don't think she is," answered Soun, craning his head up. Odd, he didn't think Akane was into giant mecha with whomping big guns.

"Oh bugger," said the giant mecha. "All right, thank you, I'll tell the office."

Soun watched the vehicle gently levitate up and ignite thrusters so that it shot off. "Hmmm. Polite fellow. Don't get many of those."

"Who was at the door, father?" Kasumi asked, coming down the stairs and still preoccupied with the odd choice Akane had laid before her.

"Oh, some giant robot asking if Akane was coming in to work. I told them no..." Soun blinked. "Cyberdyne! That's right! I forgot entirely about them. Drank a bit too much I think."

Kasumi turned and went back up the stairs. Had Akane forgotten about this?

Ifurita 1.5: So Called Rest [Episode 79813]

by Kender

"Man Akane..," Ranma muttered as he nursed his sore jaw, "Ya sure you're okay?"

The youngest Tendo frowned at her fiancee. "I'm fine!"

"If ya say so..."

Nabiki gave a reassuring smile to him. "Oh, I'm sure that she's going to be fine."

"See?" Akane insisted.

"After all, she's too stubborn to let herself to be otherwise."

"Nabiki!"

"Just teasing sis."

"Humph," muttered the younger Tendo as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Ranma sighed and looked to Kodachi. "How is she, really?"

"Other than a bit of strain on the body, and some overexertion, she'll be fine," the fox-eared marionette replied, "If anything, it was probably just shock that made her pass out."

"So... she's not gonna be recoverin' for too long, right?"

"Exactly."

"Good... Though, just what she was thinkin' challengin' someone who can blow up cities is beyond me."

"Excuse me!" Akane barked, "But I was trying to make sure that she would be a good bodyguard!"

"By tryin' ta take a swan dive from that high?"

"Uh..."

"Still, you're okay, so I can go do the stuff that I've gotta."

"Like what?"

"I dunno... practice? Get somethin' ta eat... And there's always homework. Bleh."

"I can help you with that!" suggested Nabiki.

"Huh?"

She took his arm and smiled brightly. "We can do it together, and I can help you with yours! And with my new abilites, it'll be a breeze!"

"But I... um..."

"Don't worry about it. We can do it at the table downstairs... or in my room..."

"Uh... I don't..."

Kodachi nodded in agreement. "You can go Ranma-sama. I'll stay here and watch over my patient."

"You will?"

"But of course!"

"I guess..."

"Great! Let's go Ranma-kun!" the middle Tendo daughter commented, and dragged her owner off by the arm.

"Ah, peace and quiet for the patient," Kodachi murmured as she watched the two go, "It's good, right?"

Having had perverted images of what 'doing homework' in one's bedroom, that did include bending over a desk, Akane scowled. "I don't think so!"

"Oh?"

"That jerk's probably being a pervert!"

"How I wish it were so..."

"What?!"

"Nothing... Now, let's get you relaxed so that you can recover nicely, okay?"

"Whatever... The way things are going, I'm sure that something's going to happen before long."

Just then Kasumi stuck her head in the still open doorway and smiled at the girl on the bed. "Oh, Akane, there was someone at the door for you."

"There was? Who?"

"Father said that it was a giant robot looking for you."

"Why would a giant robot come looking for me?"

"He said that it wanted to know if you were coming in to work today," the elder sister answered, "But he told it no."

"'Work'?"

"Cyberdyne, remember?"

"ACK!" went Akane as her eyes went wide as the memory of the arrangement jumped to the forefront of her mind. "I forgot!"

"Well, the nice robot left already."

"Eep..," murmured the shorthaired girl

Ifurita 1.5: TLC? [Episode 79872]

by Kestral

Kodachi looked over her patient, remembering all her differences with Akane Tendo in the past. It didn't really matter though - now Akane was her patient.

Hmmm. Heartrate up. Breathing labored. Eyes dilating. Panic attack? Well, she had to do something about that.

Kodachi lightly scratched Akane's shoulder, letting the sedative shoot into her bloodstream.

"I've got to -" Akane's voice began to trail off. "I've got to -"

"Relax," said Kodachi, holding her patient down without effort. "Sleep."

"... relax... sleep?" Akane repeated as she felt herself relaxing more and more.

"You're safe and warm and cared for, there's no need to fight. Just relax and heal," soothed Kodachi.

"... relax..." agreed Akane as the fight and tension left her. "... safe..."

Kodachi smiled and began singing a lullaby softly in a pleasant voice, feeling pleased herself as her patient fell into a completely relaxed sleep with no signs of the tensions of her fainting spell. She felt she might have overdone it when Akane curled up and started sucking her thumb, but maybe she'd hit some pleasant memory of the youngest Tendo.

Giving into the impulse to smooth her patient's hair and give her a light kiss to the cheek, Kodachi settled down to watch over her patient's rest.

"SHAMPOO! I missed you Shampoo!" Mousse leapt for his fated bride.

swish CRASH!

Shampoo stopped at the curtain and addressed her great grandmother. "Shampoo think this might be amusing."

Mousse adjusted his glasses, still not seeing the Shampoo that had ducked behind a curtain. Instead his eyes feasted on a Shampoo that was wearing lipstick and a bit of eyeshadow, looking somehow slightly more chesty than usual and had a puzzled expression on her face.

"Shampoo!" Another flying glomp.

swish CRASH!

Another crash into a wall as he passed completely through "Shampoo" as if she were a ghost.

"Shampoo? Did you learn a new speed technique?" Mousse asked as he unpeeled himself from the wall.

"I dephased my molecular structure while retaining cohesive integrity," explained Shamtwo.

"Huh?" Mousse asked.

"Shampoo is ghost now, you hound her to death," said Shampoo from behind the curtain.

"Oh, don't be silly, my love," said Mousse, reaching out to grab "Shampoo's" hands. Naturally she dephased again. Naturally his hands went through without any resistance.

Mousse blinked and tried again. Still nothing. Mousse stood, made sure his glasses were in place and deliberately tried to poke through Shampoo's chest. As she was still dephased he didn't touch anything.

"Eeep," said Mousse as he did the only thing he could and fainted.

"Okay, you win," admitted Kumiko. "I was so sure that she took personal honor and responsibility seriously."

"She's a modern teenage girl," said Glitch.

"Oh well, let's see. We had done up a model based on available data." Kumiko brought up a rotating 3D naked model of Akane. "Let's see. Simple responses, limited intellect - that way we don't need to use a specific Image Data set - General Labor type."

"You're stalling," said Glitch.

"Damn straight," said Kumiko. "Here we go. I've cut down some features to make it cheaper as Soun and Genma indicated on the contract."

AT-1000 Series "Akane 1000"

Str: ***

Spd: *

Int: *

Dur: ***

Self Repair System: Basic

Sensor Suite: Sub-Basic Human.

Response System: 20 phrases, 200 words

Primary Designation: Grunt Labor

Primary Skills: Basic only + one Skilpak chosen from following list at time of purchase: Basic Construction, Basic Domestic, Basic Yardwork, Basic Waitress, Short Order Cook, Basic Bodyguard.

Secondary Designation: General Purpose

AI: Simple Electronic Brain, Grade C

"I'm guessing the main reason that the contractual stipulation was for 'strong but not that intelligent' was because they were concerned that Akane Tendo herself would not feel overshadowed by these copies," said Kumiko. "That was thoughtful of them."

"With a Type C, you'll need a reset switch," said Glitch. "Otherwise they'll get stalled out regularly at street corners."

"Hidden under the hair on top of the head, secondary reset switch is by pinching the right buttocks," said Kumiko. "Since neither is likely to happen by accident - those should be safe. Beginning to produce the series. Start with a test run of twenty, I think. Use various clothing types without a standard uniform."

"Well, time for my oil change," said Glitch.

"Oh dear. Here's a customer," said a relieved Kumiko. "May I help you?"

Ifurita 1.5: Many For One [Episode 80537]

by Kender

The gruff looking man with the receeding hairline scratched his unshaven chin and shrugged. "The name's Kurosawa, and I was just coming in to see what you got here."

"We have plenty of products in multiple lines and fields that can be of service," Kumiko told him, "What do you need or want?"

"There's plenty that I need, but right now I need workers that I won't put to exhaustion."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. You see, I own a construction company in the ward, and I need to stay in business."

"There's that much competition?"

"There's enough work for five companies working all day. And that's the problem," he told her with a sigh.

"Too much work, and too few workers."

"And equipment. With the narrow streets around here, and the way that things tend to get broken, I need to get enough people to pull hundreds of equipment and still have enough to work it."

"Well then, this is your lucky day sir," the salesgirl said brightly and led him over to the still rotating image of an android, taking a moment to put overalls on it.

"What's this?" he asked with a blink.

"It's a new android line that's just come available. And while it's not the most complicated model, it is quiet useful in your line of work."

"It is?"

"Most definately. With this model, you shall be able to have a tireless worker who doesn't need breaks, but does take the place of a lot of heavy machinery."

"Does it now?" he said, looking immensely thoughtful.

"Yes. It can be given a skill pack that will give it the ability to do basic construction on its own, and it can do all sorts of heavy lifting on its own."

"Having a lifter that fit inside of buildings would definately help..."

"So can I put you down for one?"

"Well..."

"Hey! That's Akane," called out another voice.

Kumiko turned and saw the two girls who'd sold their image data earlier standing nearby, gazing at the rotating form of the latest android line. "Why hello again. May I help you?"

Yuka pointed up at the image rotating before them. "That's Akane, right?"

"No, it's an android based on her."

"Oh... But I wouldn't have thought that she would have done that..."

"She had a choice, and as far as we know, this is the one that she picked."

"She did. Well then, I guess it's okay."

"I wonder what they'd be designed for?" Sayuri commented idly.

"Many things," the android told them, "Mister Kurosawa here is thinking of getting for his construction business, but there are many more possible. Including some that the two of you could use."

"There is..?"

"But of course." The image shifted to one of Akane in a fighting outfit, and then to one where she was in a full maid's outfit. "I understand the bodyguard option would be useful around here, but you might have better use of the Domestic one."

"You know something," the dark haired girl murmured with a smile, "We could use someone to clean our rooms for us..."

Giggling behind her hand, Yuka nodded. "Or we could always have her carry our books if we got one."

"So will you be wanting one to share, or perhaps one for each of you?" Kumiko asked brightly

"Well..."

"I must have her..," horsely whispered a faint voice and everyone turned to look at the sight of Hikaru Gosunkugi gazing up at the rotating image with a look of pure longing.

"Sir?" went Kumiko.

"How much?" the pale boy asked, reaching up with one hand so that his fingertips almost brushed the image.

That made the android sales girl blink in confusion. Who knew that just coming up with a single line would bring in four possible customers within moments? It looked like the 'Akane 1000' series was going to be a top seller.

So she just put a bright smile on her face, and looked to her customers. "So, what would you like?" Kumiko asked simply

Ifurita 1.5: AT-1000 series now on sale [Episode 80572]

by Kestral

Customers were coming in for the new Akane-1000 line very quickly.

The price of an Akane unit was comparable to an economy automobile, though with a very reasonable payment plan and optional maintenance contract. She could be upgraded and "tricked out" of course, this wasn't a self-aware unit like Kumiko herself was that could object to such things. More a semi-AI with a decent parser. A little hard of hearing and nearsighted, but otherwise a fairly strong marionette that was more along the lines of what you'd get from that Saber Marionette world.

As Miss Tendo had put in some requests during the sale, (her conversation with the others being duly recorded) there were "no moron" and "no hentai use" qualifications put into place.

Mister Kurosawa found out that each unit required daily downtime and recharging, but that each of the 100 pound units could actually lift 950 pounds and hold it over her head for hours at a time. Lifting 1500 pounds was possible, but doing so regularly would stress the frame. He bought four of them and specified programming for - one carpentry, one masonry, one welder, and one plumber. Each was basically at the bottom rung of that skill having a base competency, but since each could carry large weights he considered this just what he needed.

Hikaru Gosunkugi fretted over the "no hentai use" but quickly decided it would be enough just to have one equipped as a maid.

Yuka and Sayuri decided on one each. Sayuri went for the maid package and giggled over the slightly better built Akane in the short skirt and frills. Yuka got the basic model with the Fighting Girl outfit.

Each came off the line and was introduced to her new owner and responded with the same preprogrammed response. "Hi there. My name is Akane. How may I serve you?"

Kumiko was resigning herself to having to do the oil change when more customers came in. A few left after the "no hentai use" clause was brought up, but otherwise sales were going very well indeed.

The initial run of twenty sold out. Another twenty was put in the queue for the next run.

Kodachi checked on her patient and determined Akane was sleeping quite contentedly. Twice Akane had gone into nightmares, but these were eased by a combination of massage techniques and a low level hypnotic. Softly singing a lullaby also seemed to help.

Kodachi was amused by the situation. Here she was - the feared Black Rose. Except that since her transformation to the Black Fox she felt more centered and more at peace with herself than ever. She still had a mischievious streak, however, and debated some pranks after Akane was over her current problem. Perhaps slipping into her room and dressing Akane in different outfits while the girl slept. That could be quite amusing.

It was the almost maternal feelings of tenderness that Kodachi found the most foreign but also to some extent the most pleasant. Akane was her patient at the moment and she would do everything she could to care for her patient.

So Kodachi continued her vigil over Akane, and was aware of how much she had changed, but not caring about it.

Ifurita 1.5: All One Girl [Episode 80738]

by Kender

What Cyberdyne had expected was the typical line of events when they introduced a new line. First they'd develop the base android specifications, sometimes using the image data of a living individual, and start a test group from what they had there. Those would be sent out on a field test or sold, and the data from them and their owners would be used to rid future of any lingering problems before production. Then they would create some more, and if those went well enough, then the line would be settled and adjustments would only be done as needed or asked for.

What Cyberdyne got was the 'Akane' effect.

It started with someone seeing or knowing about Akane Tendo, but it hadn't ended there. Those who had seen the androids already brought and taken by their new owners saw them, tended to want one for themselves. When told about where to buy an android, those interested had gone to the store to see what they could get.

Some came in to get Akanes of their own, others wound up purchasing other items, and some considered selling their image data. All because of one line they'd all seen.

In essence, the Akane-1000 line had become self-promoting by simple virtue of existing.

Still, the line had interested a great number of people, and since a great precentage seemed to want an Akane, Cyberdyne was getting a lot of orders. They could and did work past points of human exhaustion, but did not want to overdo it, glut the market, or cause any problems.

So they happily took preorders, and allowed the customers to think that they were being overwhelemed, which wasn't that far from the truth. But the customers didn't mind as long as they got theirs in a timely and courteous manner.

Epecially when they started coming out with the customization kits that allowed those buying them to 'trick out' their Akanes...

Ifurita peeked in on Akane as she was being watched over by Kodachi and bit her lip in worry. The girl was supposed to be okay for now, but she was still concerned that she was going to have some kind of after effects over what had happened. It wouldn't be unexpected and could quite possibly happen. Or at the very least could have happened.

Closing the door, the Demon-God rested her head against the cool wood. What had seemed like such a brillant plan back when she'd done it was turning out to be so wrong. She had seen that the youngest Tendo was not listening to reason, and had decided that she needed to be shocked out of her stubborness. Well, she had been, but at possible risk of so many dangers.

Rising into the air had seemed to be the way to do it. It was non-violent, something she could do with ease, and would allow the girl to see how foolish it'd be to challenge her. Which had worked, though it had taken a fall to do so, and there were injuries that she could have sustained from the catch. And what would have happened had she hit the ground didn't bear thinking about.

All because of her. She couldn't help feeling angry with herself, and worried over Akane. Finally, she had come to a place where she wouldn't have to destroy cities on a whim of some dictator, and she'd risked a life with what seemed to be the same disregard. Plus it happened that the one she did it to happened to be the fiancee of her owner, and the sister of her operator. One had comforted her and sworn that he'd take care of her despite knowing what she had been. The other had taught her to cook, clean, sew and create, all with a simple kindess she'd been afraid she'd never have. And she'd gone and harmed one who was close to the both of them.

Her only hope was that the youngest Tendo was okay. She just didn't want it any other way.

Those who knew him thought that Tatewakei Kuno was way into the idea of being a 'samurai'. After all, his idea of introducing himself to a girl that he liked was to challenge her to a fight, he dressed in that hakama a lot, and he carried that stick of his everywhere. Fortunately he did wear other clothing, and did give flowers to his 'loves', but one still could watch a samurai flick, point to a certain character and yell out "That's Kuno!"

Of course to know that last bit would have been fine with him, and he might even be proud of it.

However, he was one to take his samurai heritage very seriously, including the idea of symbolism. Like on this fine morning where the sun was barely peeking out from below the horizon. Normally he would not awaken at such a time, but he had a date with the sea. There had been occassions in which would rise early so that he might go to the beach and train under the lights of the glorious rising sun, just as his greatness would continue to do so. There he would go through the moves of his true warrior self, allowing those who watched to bask in his glory and manliness, including the young maidens who he was certain could not help but look.

Considering the fact that most 'young maidens' were in bed at the moment, and dreaming of other hunks, he already was a bit... off in his thinking in that department.

But as he strode among the commoners on the streets, he was confident that he would be able to succeed on this day against the foul sorcerer. He'd be able to slay the cretin and win the undying affection and gratitude of his two loves. Then he would have the honor and duty to finally be with them forever and a day.

And was that not Akane Tendo standing in a full kimono before a tea house that he frequented, no doubt to meet him so that she might declare her love for him.

But was not that Akane Tendo at the drinking establishment down the street, wearing a rather skimpy skirt and heels as she helped the Master close up shop?

That seemed to be Akane Tendo hefting a bag of flour as she trailed after old Mister Shinoda, the baker.

Another large bag, this one seemingly of soil for plants of the potted variety was being dropped in front of one of his favored florists by none other than Akane Tendo.

Everywhere he went, he saw Akane Tendo. Akane at the supermarket, Akane at the movies, and even Akane standing at the fitness center. But he just had no idea how she was doing it, how she kept on managing to get ahead of him and changing her clothing as she was at it. Obviously it was to garner his attention, but he just didn't understand how she could do such a thing.

It wasn't until he saw Akane carrying a welder's kit pass by Akane hefting stacks of newspapers that it finally happened.

He stopped in the middle of the street, eyes wide, mouth open, and his weapon of choice dropping to the ground from numb fingers.

Ifurita 1.5: The Akane Factor [Episode 80750]

by Kestral

The previous night:

"So you're checking up on my purchase?" Yuka asked the girl. "I didn't know Cyberdyne did that."

"Well, on our AI units it isn't necessary, they can send a coded pulse if they're in jeapordy or if their AI is shut down." The blackhaired girl in blue business suit made a gesture to indicate the Akane unit standing with a tray in her hands. "These Akane units aren't really that complicated and we were somewhat curious after the runaway popularity of the model."

"They're popular then?" Yuka asked politely as she took a seat.

"Staggeringly," said Isako. "We placed the test run of twenty within hours. We have run an additional twenty and are in the process of taking purchase orders for one hundred further units."

"Wow," said Yuka. "Akane should be really impressed."

"We've called her and left a message with Genma Saotome who assures us that it is perfectly all right and that we can renew the contract at 25,000yen." Isako cocked her head. "We naturally disputed that he had the right to do so and we finally reached Soun Tendo who tells us that Akane will reach her majority in one year, nine months and until then he and his business partner will take the payments."

"How much money are we talking about?" Yuka asked, wondering if she should just track down Akane now or if her friend had actually given her father blanket permission.

"We've already remade what was lost on the control panel. If the sale proves as popular offplane," said Isako, "the first year payment for physical likeness only will reach two million yen. Considerably more if her brain data can be copied."

"Uh huh," said Yuka, deciding she'd bring this up with Akane tomorrow in school.

"That's not counting accessories, customization and upgrade kits," pointed out Isako. "We really had not expected this level of response especially from such a limited capacity unit."

"You mean you'll have accessorizing kits for the Akane series?" Yuka asked, with a glance at her own Akane. "Like how?"

"Oh we can accessorize them in a number of ways," said the customer service unit for Cyberdyne. "We've had three requests for more developed breasts or a better figure, and those are fairly simple. Here, let me show you."

Yuka saw a fan of blue light erupt from a bracelet on Isako's wrist. In it she could see an Akane in a track suit.

"Racer Akane, with accelerated reflexes and reaction time." The image changed to an Akane that seemed no different from the original. "We can upgrade her to a full Artificial Intelligence and therefore a much smarter and capable Akane. We can install hardware and software for DVDs, CD-R, wireless modem, projection screen, wireless telephone-"

Yuka watched as various accessories appeared on the projected Akane's body and sunk into the form without apparent sign. Then the image started flickering through various outfits.

"- and full computer accessibility. Then there's specialized models with at least slightly uprated intelligence ranging to full AI. Mermaid Akane with full CPR knowledge and adaptations for swimming - a near perfect lifeguard. Firefighter Akane is not only fireresistant but comes with her own flame retardant outfit. Centaur Akane makes for an ideal partner for people in the forestry service. Chauffer Akane can handle any road vehicle from a compact to a full diesel trailer. Stewardess Akane will always have a ready smile no matter how problematic the flight-"

Yuka almost giggled as the android went on about various versions of Akane, all of whom had her friend's features but built for specific jobs.

"-though I don't know if anthromorphic designs will sell all that well. Then there's the possibilities we've been working on using this robotechnology." Isako indicated an Akane who seemed to flow and shift and become a motorscooter. "Though there are some bugs still in the system we're working out. Oh dear. I wonder who put that in there."

"Let's see, spandex outfits with helmets, gloves and boots. Belts with various odd weapons... 'The Akane Rangers'?" Yuka blinked at the logo.

"Someone's been watching too many sentai series," said Isako with a sigh. "Hopefully I can stop them from producing that."

The morning:

Yuka prepared for class, dusting her Akane off and having her carry her books to school. She made sure that her Akane had designated "home" as being this house here. That way she could expect to find her Akane awaiting her at the end of the school day.

Yuka said hello to her friend Sayuri and noted that Maid Akane was carrying Sayuri's books.

"Ah, there's Akane," said Sayuri as they came within sight of school. "Akane!"


	2. Chapter 2

Ifurita 1.5: Meeting Herself [Episode 81101]

by Kender

Akane had found that she had the most annoying sense that she had forgotten something very important when she had awakened. But that had been the least of her worries, considering what had happened. She had been quite obvious beaten by an android, and in a way that was a bit overwhelming and impossible to ignore. Then had come fact that she had apparently been keep sedated all damned night, even though she was perfectly fine thank you, and been stuck with being coddled when she woke up.

But it had all been driven from her mind in the face of one immediate concern.

She hadn't studied for that day's English test! Her original plan was to get some studying done the night before, and the only adjustment she'd made for her match was to push back her time with the books. Only she'd passed out after, and had gotten drugged into submission.

Which had left her running around to try and get as much as she could down before she was tortured by paper and pen. She'd even let Ranma and Nabiki lead her along so that she could keep her nose buried in 'past participles' and the variations of plurals. Not even their repeated attempts to trick her out of her cramming worked as she was insistant that she not fail at this.

So it took the annoyed tones of her friend's "AKANE!" to get her to look up.

"Oh, hi Sayuri. What's... THAT?!" she asked, pointing to the very familiar figure standing behind the ponytailed girl. Her eyes widened as she took in something that she had only seen in a mirror... except it looked slightly better. And unlike her Furinkan uniform, the other wore high heels, a mid thigh skirt, pressed blouse, a cap, and hose, looking to be the perfect image of a maid.

"'That'?" Sayuri asked, and looked at where the original was pointing. "Oh, her. That's my Akane."

"'Your'..."

Yuka frowned as she looked at her friend. "Don't you know? They're androids."

"'Androids'?" Akane Tendo whimpered as she looked past her friend's light brown mane to the copy of her standing there. This one was dressed in tight pants that moulded to her slim legs, ankle boots, a tight tube like top with an open tunic over it, a headband and fighting gloves.

"Yup. They were made by Cyberdyne, and the line's doing real well, and they're working out great!"

"They are?"

Sayuri nodded. "My room has never been so clean!"

"I... it... cleaned your room?"

"And carried my books, and does a lot of other stuff. And when we got ours, lots of other people came to get Akanes of their own."

The youngest Tendo daughter stared at her friends as what had happened sank in. "How'd this happen?"

"You don't know? I just thought you'd decided against working for Cyberdyne, and done this."

"'Work'..? Eep..."

"You forgot?"

"Umm... yeah..."

"Well... now you're definately not going to forget this..."

Numbly agreeing with her friend, the short haired girl giggled nervously as the full import of what was going on became apparent.

"Your dad didn't tell you?" Yuka asked.

"What?"

"Someone from Cyberdyne came to check up on my Akane, and told me that he and Ranma's dad had given permission for this, with your agreement. Heck, they even stand to make millions if your line is as popular in those other places they're connected to."

"Daddy and Mister Saotome..," she moaned, looking around in a daze... dropping her books as she saw a happy Hikaru Gosunkugi being followed dutifully by an Akane wearing a bunny suit and heels.

"Are you okay?" Sayuri questioned.

Ifurita 1.5: Dazed Akane [Episode 81118]

by Kestral

A parent selling out his child to the highest bidder. For example, for a bowl of rice and two pickles. That was the child's fault somehow and everyone shared a laugh over that child's misfortune. At least that was what usually happened when it was Ranma who was the child.

Akane had just experienced the same thing, mainly due to panic-blocking her first day of work. Though when her father had sold her off he'd gotten a much better deal apparently than Mister Saotome had ever managed. "Well, at least it wasn't for a bowl of rice."

Ranma looked over at her and frowned. "Hey, Akane. You don't look so hot. You gonna be okay?"

"Ehhhhh," managed Akane. Of course she didn't look as good as her copies. When did an android have a bad hair day?!

"So Cyberdyne's selling a lot of 'em?" Sayuri asked Yuka.

"Yeah, they said the original twenty sold out, another twenty were being sold, and they'd had over a hundred orders since then." Yuka looked off in the distance. "Oh, and you should have seen some of the special Akane they were planning."

"Sound fun," agreed Sayuri. "I know they're not that smart. My neighbor got one and had told her to dig a hole for a tree in his backyard last night. When we all got up this morning it was nearly five hundred feet deep. You need to be very exact when you're telling them to do something."

"Yeah, I'll upgrade the intelligence on mine and have them put in a CD and wireless phone." Yuka patted her Akane on the back. "You'll be able to store phone numbers, then all you have to do is tell her who to call and she'll act just like a speaker telephone."

"That could be handy," agreed Sayuri. "Hey, Akane? Something wrong?"

"What could be wrong?" asked Akane as her eyes watched an Akane going into a construction site carrying four seventy-five pound bags of concrete mix on a wooden pallet. "Everything's fine."

"You wadded your homework up into a little ball," pointed out Sayuri. "So, Yuka, you ready for that English test?"

"I had my Akane do my chores so I could spend extra time studying," said Yuka.

"Akane?" Ranma asked his fiancee as she leaned against a streetlamp.

"Hey, Maid Akane," instructed Sayuri as she picked up the crumpled homework. "Straighten this out, being careful not to rip it up."

The Akane in the maid uniform showed every sign of being in cheerful good spirits as she began uncrumpling and smoothing out the homework.

"Fighter Akane," said Yuka. "Carry the human Akane to school."

"Huh? What? HEY!" protested Akane as someone picked her up effortlessly and started carrying her.

"If you're not feeling well, Akane," pointed out Sayuri, "you should go home after the test."

"PUT ME DOWN!" Akane demanded when it was obvious she couldn't dislodge herself by force.

"Put her down, Fighter." Yuka instructed.

"Oh my goodness, we're going to be late!" Sayuri realized. "We better run!"

Nabiki made it easily. Yuka and Sayuri used their Akane units to match speeds. Ranma didn't even break a sweat. Akane staggered in and stifled another scream.

One of the teachers was entering, and had an Akane in a silver skinsuit behind him carrying a box of papers.

There was Yuka's Akane and Sayuri's Akane and at least two more Akane she could see - Hikaru's in the bunnysuit and another one in a cheerleader uniform.

"...gotta buy one..."

Akane twitched as she heard one of the horde of hentai declare this.

"Oh man, this one seized up," said Daisuke as he came up behind Akane. "Hang on. I saw Mr. Kurosawa hit one in the head to fix it, but he told me he was too embarassed to try the other method." grab, pinch

Akane turned and decked the guy who'd just grabbed and squeezed her right butt cheek. WHAM!

Sayuri shook her head. "Now that he had coming."

Ifurita finished dusting when she heard something about a new house?

"We don't get much on the sale of each unit, Saotome, but just think how many of them we could sell if we direct business towards this place," exclaimed Soun Tendo.

"I am, believe me Tendo, I am," said Genma.

"The more people who buy an Akane, the richer we'll be." Soun's eyes welled up with tears. "If we get two hundred dollars American for each Akane sold."

"Soun, you've seen how perfect strangers take one look at Akane and get sucked in," said Genma, putting a comradely arm around his old friend. "Toma, Kirin, that horde of kids at school for examples. All we have to do is show a few of them around and the orders will be arriving in droves. We could sell hundreds. Maybe thousands."

cha-ching! went the pretty little yen signs in Soun's eyes. "Maybe we should get one ourselves that we can use to display the merchandise."

"With this sort of notoriety and this kind of wealth, we can relax in luxury," said Genma. "We can even get ahold of marriage counselors to convince our children to get over their stubborn streak."

Soun was about to answer when he realized something. "Wait. If I'm getting all that money, who needs to unite the two schools?"

"Now now, Tendo. One step at a time," said Genma.

Ifurita frowned. She wondered if Akane had truly wanted her father to represent her.

Mousse stared at a wall and twitched. Shampoo was dead?

"Ni hao. Welcome to the Nekohanten," said the ghostly Shampoo. "We have a table for three right over here."

Mousse's eyes glanced at the ghost when something finally penetrated and he stared through his glasses. Shampoo had a shadow.

"My love, you're not dead!" cried Mousse as he leapt at the target of his affection.

Shamtwo frowned. Dephasing and letting him go through her would put customers in danger. "Acheiving maximum density."

WHANG!

Mousse hung there for a moment before slowly sliding down and hitting the ground.

Shampoo brought out a glass of water, splashed, and put the duck in a cargo container. "Shampoo really like this game. You do very good."

"Thank you," said her twin before turning to the family. "Would you like anything to drink while going over the menu?"

"I'm sorry, but you'll have to stop using an Akane model for lingerie displays in your store window. That's clearly a violation of the 'no hentai uses' policy." Sanae listened to the other line briefly. "Yes. Because it's a contractual limitation that was given to us. We'll have to reclaim the unit if you refuse. Yes. Sorry about that."

"Hello?"

Sanae focussed on the door. "Ah, Ukyo Kuonji. Is there a problem?"

"Problem," said the flour and dough splashed figure in the doorway. "That might be understating it a bit."

"Something to do with the Mihoshi unit?" Sanae guessed.

"EVERYTHING to do with the Mihoshi unit," said Ukyo as she pulled part of her uniform back into place. "Do you know what she did this morning?"

"Nooo," admitted Sanae. "We've been a little overwhelmed with sudden requests for the Akane unit."

"What?" Ukyo questioned. When Sanae put a display of holo-images of various Akane units, Ukyo stared at that. "She didn't come to work?"

"No. Her father was good enough to explain that she wouldn't be in and further licensed out her likeness for the next two years," said Sanae. "Though I believe he's trying to renegotiate. How odd."

"Back to Mihoshi," said Ukyo. "Yesterday she made pancakes. I run an okonomiyaki restaurant. NOT the International House Of Pancakes."

"Okay," said Sanae. "I'll admit that I'm personally unfamiliar with okonomiyaki but if she's fixing inappropriate foods I can see your grievance."

"Inappropriate doesn't cover it," said Ukyo pulling a piece of batter out of her ear. "Yesterday afternoon everything was running smoothly. Except that we had a new menu item. Chocolate layer cake. Despite the fact that we don't have the ingredients for chocolate cake!"

"How could she make chocolate layer cake if the ingredients aren't on hand?" Sanae asked logically.

"I don't know!" Ukyo complained. "The customers said it was the best thing they'd ever tasted!"

"Oh? That's good," said Sanae.

Ukyo growled.

"Okay, that's not so good," said Sanae. "Well, then-"

"Then this morning, oh how wonderful that was. She had Crepe Joe in MY restaurant and was jotting down notes from that loser on how to improve business by serving French food!" Ukyo was actually grinding teeth at this point.

Sanae considered whether she should ask or not. Finally she decided she would have to. "So why are you covered in okonomiyaki sauce, batter, chocolate syrup, flour, and have lettuce sticking out of your cleavage?"

Ukyo looked down and pulled the offending greenery out. "Crepe Joe and I got into a fight. THEN Mihoshi got involved."

"I see, is that how the handcuffs got involved?" Sanae guessed.

"Yes, she made us sit down and watch Barney and explained how important getting along is," said Ukyo. "I want her out of my restaurant. NOW. SOONER."

"If you insist," agreed Sanae.

"If I must I'll sell my image data," said Ukyo. "Just get her out of my life!"

"Odd, you sound just like Kiyone," said Sanae, who was familiar with the originals. "I'll get on it right away."

Ifurita 1.5: Simple Discoveries [Episode 81605]

by Kender

"You have to understand that we really must keep a good handle on what is going on with my daughter's image sales," Soun said as he sipped his cup of tea.

The representitive from Cyberdyne nodded. "That is understandable."

"Then you must see that we have to make sure that we aren't kept out of the loop," Genma commented from where he sat next to his friend. "After all, we don't want to have us be bilked out of those funds."

"I assure you," she said cooly, "Unlike some companies, we take pride in using fair, honorable and equitable arrangements."

"I didn't mean it that way... I just didn't want you to think that we were some fools that didn't know what our roles are."

"Is that so?"

"Yes, Miss... Chisato, was it?"

"Yes."

The Tendo patriarch put his cup down and looked evenly at her. "Now, we really should be getting to the heart of the matter."

"Which is why I came here. I believe that you said something about wanting to 'expand' our profits."

"That we do. We have some... ideas that we are certain that your company will love."

"You see," the Saotome Patriarch told her, "We know a great many people who we think would like to buy their own Akanes."

"So we thought that if you gave us a few Akanes to show off, displaying how they look and what they can do, then we could get a lot of people interested."

"And then they'd go to buy a unit of their own."

"Ahh..," went Chisato, "You want to try direct marketing."

"If that is what you call it."

"You believe that this will expand the demand for line?"

"But of course. It is not like there is any other such easy way of improving sales."

"That's not exactly true."

"Pardon?"

"Removing the 'no hentai' clause, having her brainscans, or both, would definately improve sales," she said, but waved off the idea. "I just doubt that you would do such a thing.

Genma and Soun just looked at each other.

Cleaning up her resturant alone had been hard, but Ukyo was not about to complain. If Mihoshi had been there, she would have wanted to 'help', but that particular marionette was on her way back to Cyberdyne, if she wasn't there already. Which was more than fine by the chef's standards.

Oh, the blonde had been nice enough, and was likeable, but she was too damned aggravating! She tended to be clueless, overeager, and never checked before doing anything. All of which had forced her to be sent back to the company.

But as she buffed a table and looked over the newly cleaned resturant, a feeling of relaxation came over her. Finally it was back to the way that it was supposed to be, an okonomiyaki resturant. No more pancakes, no more chocolate cakes and sure as Hell, NO FRENCH FOOD.

And by the sound of a knock on the door, it seemed like her first customer was there. "Welcome to the Ucchan's!" she called out cheerfully, and blinked at the individual who'd knocked.

"Hello. I'm here from Cyberdyne," said the marionette

Ifurita 1.5: Multi functions [Episode 81615]

by Kestral

"Your name is 'Multi'?" Ukyo asked.

"Yes, I'm a rebuilt model from a discontinued series on my home timeline." The little girl bowed. "I hope we can be friends."

"Uh huh," said the reserved Ukyo. After Mihoshi she was a little cautious. "What do you know about French food?"

"Nothing," said Multi, looking a little worried. "Do I need to?"

"No," said Ukyo, warming a little bit. "What about okonomiyaki?"

"I haven't learned to cook anything except rice yet, I'm sorry," said Multi, bowing again. "Though I have a total recall function and can duplicate skills once I've been exposed to them. I try really hard though!"

Ukyo began to smile. Just a little. "Maybe this'll work out after all."

"So why not remove this 'no hentai' rule?" Soun asked. "After all, I am her father and have authority here."

"Because Miss Tendo specifically stated this in a conversation earlier," said Chisato. "Even if you are her legal and honorable authority - she has made her dismay against such things clear. We at Cyberdyne do make an effort to stay within such clearly expressed requests."

"What are these 'brainscan' things, anyway?" Genma asked.

Chisato looked at the two. "How much do either of you know about how the human brain operates?"

Blank looks greeted the question.

Chisato gave a very human sigh. "Okay. The human brain stores information in an electrochemical format, in three dimensions, mostly in the outer layer - the 'gray matter' of the brain itself. Which means that there is a lot of information and it is stored in chemical form and accessed through electrical signals. Do you understand?"

Soun nodded, though that might have just been politeness. Genma continued to look blank.

Chisato tried again. "There's a lot of information in the brain, not all of which you remember consciously. Things like associating an object or action with a word or concept. Emotions and reactions. Intuition and understanding."

"Like learning a martial arts move, when you react with that move without thinking about it," realized Genma.

Chisato was pleased and passed the man a lollipop for getting it right. She was also a teacher unit, after all. "There's all sorts of things like that that can be copied by using the Image Data. Even giving some of the original person's personality to the unit."

Genma unwrapped his lollipop and thoughtfully took a lick. Hmmm. Root beer.

Soun eyed his friend who seemed to be paying more attention to the hard candy than their plans. "So why can't I give you permission to use her Image Data as we have already established my authority on this?"

"She hasn't specifically told us not to use it, however we don't actually have Miss Tendo's brainscans." Chisato spread her hands. "She'd have to come down and actually submit to a scan."

"Oh," said Soun.

"We received at the same time your authorization to sell Image Rights to Kasumi Tendo, however she is past the age of her majority and indicated some distress with the concept," said Chisato, not mentioning that the indication had been her fainting.

"Well about that, we think having an Akane here we could use to show off to potential customers," tried Soun, "that way we could convince people what a useful product it is."

"Possible," admitted Chisato. "The old 'seeing is believing' angle. You're asking to be sales people for this angle, getting your commission from the percentage of sales already allocated to you?"

"Uhm, yes," said Soun, not sure what all that meant.

"Clever," said Chisato. "That way the price doesn't have to be bumped up to cover the additional cost. The price doesn't go up - more people could afford one and the sales of accessories for their Akane allows for additional revenues down the road."

"Well, uhm." Soun wasn't too sure about all that, but he certainly wasn't going to contradict someone calling him clever. "Yes. That's right."

Chisato nodded. "I'll have one delivered. We'll go with a unit that's got a few extras and you can explain that the base unit can be upgraded."

"Ah, yeah. Quite," agreed Soun, wondering for the first time if perhaps Genma Saotome wasn't the best person to listen to in a 'get rich quick' scheme. "One that can explain her features would be even better. From the horse's mouth and all."

Chisato nodded again. "Very well. I'll put in the order."

Akane shivered as she got this sudden chill.

There was Yuka and Sayuri. Ranma. Hikaru. Hiroshi and Daisuke snickering about something as they talked behind the teacher's back. Wait! They were probably planning on buying an Akane! That would explain it.

The reason for the chill explained, Akane turned back to her notes. Wait a minute. If they wanted an Akane, then they'd want to... this and that.

Well, she could just explain to them that even though it wasn't her - she would really prefer they NOT do anything perverted. Right? Right.

Except what if they did? And who knew what Hikaru Gosunkugi was doing with HIS Akane?

snap!

Putting down the pencil she'd just snapped in half and grabbed a new one from her bag.

What to do? How to get out of this?

Ifurita 1.5: Words About Robots [Episode 82125]

by Kender

Hiroshi grinned at Daisuke as the two boys thought less about the lesson being taught, and the plans that they had made for after school. Once they blew this pop stand for the day, they could go over to that 'Cyberdyne' place. Then they could buy an Akane of their very own, or maybe one for each, and the fun could start! Having a cute girl, totally loyal and willing to serve them, and able to be changed as they wished... Who could ask for anything better?

Besides, if the original had allowed her friends to own copies, then she'd have no problem with two interested schoolboys, right?

*WHAP!*

And then Daisuke got a ball of paper right in the face.

Wincing for his friend, Hiroshi leaned in and whispered, "What is it?"

"Something that hurt..," the other boy muttered as he smoothed out the paper, and noticed something. "And it's a note!"

"Really?! From who?"

"Akane."

"What?! What's it say?"

"See for yourself," Daisuke told him and they huddled between their desks to look at the thrown note.

If you two perverts buy a copy of me, I'LL KILL YOU!

-Akane

The two boys hesitantly looked up from the note at the girl who had thrown it.

Her return glare was one that made them want to run at that moment.

Instead, they just gave her a little wave with hesitant smiles.

She pointed to the both of them, to Maid Akane, and then drew the finger across her neck.

Both of them gulped and sank in their seats.

She smiled.

Working through all the piles of boxes in the store room was not an enjoyable task, but she knew that she had to get the proper supplies to replace what she'd been forced to use against the French food fool. Of course, that little matter had also made it so that she had been forced to stay home and clean up after the idiot and the attempts of Mihoshi to stop them. About the only upside of that little problem was that she could get some customers that she'd normally miss.

At least Multi was working out... somewhat. It'd taken her about three tries to get an edible okonomiyaki made. But as she said, she did try, and had peered intently at the chef's demonstrations. And now she could manage to cook some of the easier ones, though she wasn't about to be up for improvising.

Carrying a box out into the front, she stopped by where the green haired girl was standing at a table with a cloth in her hand. "You cleaning?"

"Yes, I am," Multi said with a happy look, "I love to clean."

"Hm. That's a good attitude."

"Really? Thank you Ukyo-san!"

"So you're going to keep on doing it while I put this stuff away?"

The robot girl nodded. "I want to make it completely spic and span for everyone that comes here!"

"Then you should get to it then, shouldn't you?"

"I will... but shouldn't I carry that box?"

Ukyo looked to the container in her arms. "This?"

"I'm supposed to help you and I really like doing that. So why don't I take it?" Multi asked, gently pulling the box into her arms.

"Uhh..."

"I'll take good care of it. It's no problem..."

Biting her lip at the wavering steps her new help was taking, Ukyo reached over and took the box back. "I've got it. Really. Besides, you really shouldn't try to carry things that are too heavy for you."

"Oh..."

"It's not a problem. Why don't you go clean up the seats and make sure that all the tables are set up right. Okay?"

"Sure!" Multi said, her disappointed expression turning to one of happiness as she went to do just that.

The chef just shook her head a bit as she watched her go and went to put the box where it was supposed to go.

Having satisfactorily explained herself to Hiroshi and Daisuke, Akane felt more certain that she could have the ability to tell her father about what had happened. Mister Saotome was one thing, and would do all sorts of silly things, but her father was of a different sort. She knew that he loved his daughters and cared about what they thought. As far as she had seen, beyond just being embarrassing at times, he'd never done anything like what his freind had done, and would never allow such things to be done as Genma would do.

Of course, she'd forgotten a certain Frenchman with a rather large appetite, an old pervert, and some other things, but at the moment, she needed her father to be a responsible sort in the situation.

He'd probably taken her presence at the house as a refusal of the job offer, and had thought that she wanted to have robot duplicates. And he probably didn't realise just how many of 'her' were out there, and what they were being used for. Rather, he'd probably just thought that he was managing affairs for her, and was doing what she wanted.

So, as she came into the house after school, and headed for where he'd always been playing shogi, she'd been sure that she'd just need to tell him that she had merely forgotten about the job and been drugged before she could remember it. Then she'd tell him about all the perverted things that people were probably doing with the copies, and she felt he'd get angry and insist that they talk to Cyberdyne. Who could be talked to and weren't going to be folks that she owed even more money to for breaking their stuff.

Because if it was otherwise, and he'd actually been letting this happen, she'd not be pleased. Not. One. Bit.

But he was her father, and would never do that to her, right? It was all a big misunderstanding, and he wasn't someone like... Genma Saotome. He had respect, and dignity, and...

AN AKANE IN SOME SORT OF FUTURISTIC SPANDEX OUTFIT POURING HIM SAKE?!

Even as she stared, her eyes noted the various cutouts to the outfit, like the one that gave a good view of the copy's cleavage. Which seemed bigger than Akane's own, and didn't seem to be a problem for the robot to show off. Just like she didn't mind balancing on high heeled boots or, letting anyone see her backside when she bent over in that damn short skirt...

Brow twitching over one eye, Akane Tendo watched her father and Genma share a drink over their success,

Ifurita 1.5: An Akane to remember purchase [Episode 82224]

by Kestral

Akane was confronted with it. Right there. One of the android Akane was waiting on the two fathers.

"How wonderful, Tendo. Your negotiation skills are as sharp as ever!" Genma held his sake cup high.

"Haha," chortled Soun. "Yes, Saotome, I believe you're right. We've done quite well, haven't we? Who needs the dojo when we've got a meal ticket like this?"

Akane twitched.

"Oh look, they sent another one," said Genma. "Think you can convince that daughter of yours to part with her brain? It's not like she'll miss it."

Akane twitched HARD.

"I think they just take some kind of picture of it," said Soun.

"Whatever," Genma waved off the point. "It's more than I can get off that lazy son of mine. I can't even sell his girl side image because he has an existing account. It's a good thing your daughter refused to work for them - best move we've ever made. We sold three units right here in this neighborhood already."

Akane twitched some more.

"I used to think you selling your boy off like that was pretty irresponsible," admitted Soun. "Now I see how easy it actually is. More sake here."

"Of course, honored Master," said the Akane in the skintight costume. "Heated precisely as you directed."

"Ah, this is the life, eh Tendo?" Saotome looked over at the Akane standing in the doorway. "Hmmm. Must be a defective unit. Just twitches a lot. Doesn't have a decent figure either. Maybe we should send that one back."

"Father," Akane said not using her usual "Dad" or "Daddy" deliberately, "can we talk?"

"So the Shampoo series shows signs of popularity as well," said Asako.

"Indeed," said a unit styled as a Vulcan woman. "Though she remains restricted to several roles due to negotiations with Elder Cologne."

"What kind of roles?"

V-4 responded with the faintest hint of puzzlement. "The grouping makes no sense to me. Soldier, Waitress, Police Officer, Nurse, and Teacher models."

"You've never been around human children have you?" Asako asked.

"There is a correlation?" V-4.

"That proves you've never been assigned to Childcare," said Asako. "Oh, have I got a treat for you."

"Now about these duplicates," tried Akane. She could be calm. She could be reasonable.

"Oh that's right Akane, could you tell Cyberdyne you're removing the 'no hentai' clause? We had two buyers including Old Man Yamaguchi up the street decline purchasing an Akane because of that," interrupted Genma.

"That's right, Saotome, that's... well maybe that's not such a bad thing," said Soun.

Akane blinked a couple of times. "Did you authorize any strange versions of me already?"

"I don't think so," said Soun.

"One or two," suggested Genma.

"Maybe, possibly," added Soun.

Five spandex clad, really stacked, helmet-glove-boot-belt-wearing, odd weapon-wielding Akane landed in the backyard.

"We are the Akane Rangers!" they proclaimed.

"For justice," said the yellow clad Akane as she spun a bo staff. "Akane Yellow!"

"For truth," said the blue clad Akane as she did a quick set of moves with a yari-style spear. "Akane Blue!"

"For love," proclaimed the red clad Akane as she made a quick set of moves with a pair of sai. "Akane Red!"

"For honor," declared the green clad Akane as she ignited a lightsaber and posed. "Akane Green!"

"For the future," whispered the white clad Akane as she brought a gusari style weapon forward. "Akane White!"

"Akane Rangers! Sanjo!"

Akane blinked a couple of times at the space where five buxom versions of herself had stood just a moment ago. "Eh?"

Soun frowned. "I didn't order those, did you, Saotome?"

"No, I thought the Mermaid Akane sounded interesting, and the Akane-Succubus might sell well, but I would have remembered ordering a sentai team," offered Genma. "Perhaps when we were discussing some of the upgrade models?"

Akane twitched yet again. Calm. Center oneself. Deep breath.

Ifurita 1.5: Junk Air Mail [Episode 82449]

by Kender

"About those robots..," the youngest Tendo began with a steady control, "We need to talk about..." "Of course, we did agree that those succubus models would need to have that 'no hentai' clause gone to make them big sellers?" Genma commented, almost as if he didn't hear her.

Soun made a sound of agreement. "True, but I don't think the sentai team would need it."

"Why not? But in any case, we just need to have you have Akane here remove that silly clause."

"But of course!"

The Saotome Patriarch settled into a smug look. "And then we'll be set for life!"

At that moment, Akane's lost the stiffness of self control, and took on another form of tightness. She was through trying to talk this through, and she had learned that, yes, her Dad could be just as bad as Ranma's. The pigtailed boy's parent was closer though.

"Perhaps we can even give the boy on his ooooo... GURK!"

"How dare you do this to me?!" she yelled as she held the portly man by the collar of his gi and shook him. "Do you think that I would just sit back and take it?!"

"Uhh..."

"Well, I'm NOT!"

Soun watched as his old friend was slammed headfirst into the floor, and then tossed out into the yard, landing in the koi pond. "Now, now Akane... is that anyway to act..?"

"My own father!"

Genma was just pulling his dazed panda self out of the water when he found his old training partner flying at him. The other man slammed into him, sending them both into the water. There they lay for only a few moments as Akane charged out of the house and over to them.

She pulled them from the water, and for a moment they thought that she had come to her senses.

Which was about the time that she began pummeling them.

"How dare you do this to me?! You big lousy jerks! I didn't even know!"

For the two men it was a haze of pain as they discovered that girls could definately demonstrate that they could hit harder and faster than boys.

So much so that they were happy when she stopped pounding their twisted and beaten bodies for a moment.

Of course, they weren't happy when she punted them into the air at levels that they would feel the landing from.

Glaring at where she'd launched them, Akane stood there seething a minute

Ifurita 1.5: Program conflict [Episode 82550]

by Kestral

"Akane unit appears to be malfunctioning. Subduing Akane unit."

Akane had just registered her own voice saying that when she felt a very hard shove that sent her stumbling.

Ifurita stood there, her hands locked around those of the fake Akane.

"What?" Akane asked, her anger giving way to curiosity.

"That is not an android Akane. That is the original Akane Tendo," said Ifurita. "If you go ripping open her back to disable her control circuits, you'll kill her."

"Akane unit is clearly malfunctioning. Akane unit has attacked owner. Akane unit must be neutralized and repaired," stated the other Akane.

"I AM NOT A ROBOT!" Akane yelled at her duplicate.

"Scanning," said the silver wearing Akane. "Confirmed. Human Akane determined. Basic fault detected. Unable to resolve."

Ifurita let go and stepped back.

"You're letting it go?!" Akane asked, ready to run.

"She has to resolve the conflict," explained Ifurita. "She's only a simple AI, not a full AI. Logic problems and conflicting orders can give them problems. Right now the bodyguard orders are conflicting with the need to protect a member of the family. You attacked the owner but are a member of the family. Therefore she's at a loss as to how she should handle it."

"Conflict resolved. Hello, my name is Akane. How may I serve you?" Akane smiled at Akane.

"What does this mean?" Akane asked Ifurita.

"She's resolved it apparently by deciding that this was a conflict within the family, now resolved, and she's asking you for orders," explained Ifurita.

"Oh, well if she's asking for orders," Kasumi said as she entered the backyard, "could she play this?"

A tray opened up on the Akane-robo's stomach. She put the CD that Kasumi handed her into the slot and closed it up again. Music began to sound from hidden speakers.

Akane the original twitched.

"So what are you going to do, Akane?" asked Kasumi.

Ifurita 1.5: Around The Place [Episode 83197]

by Kender

Several thoughts were running through Akane's head at once, all of which were making a jumble that she was having trouble dealing with. There were android versions of her, which wasn't as terrible as it was really freaky to have robot versions of herself. They seemed to be really popular, and were selling very well, which not only would pay for the damages she'd incurred, but would give her a tidy little nest egg at the same time. But that ran at the risk of having perverts buy androids that looked exactly like her, and got her confused with her copies.

"Umm... I'm not sure..," she told her eldest sister.

Kasumi frowned. "You're not?"

"Not really..."

"I'd suggest that you at least have a conversation with Cyberdyne before your father makes any more trouble..," put in Ifurita.

That made real sense to the youngest Tendo, especially as her father was apparently trying out his 'Genma' impression. One was bad enough, but two... "I'm going to go right now."

"That might be a good idea."

Akane nodded resolutely. She didn't know exactly what she wanted to do with her copies, but she sure as Hell didn't want her father to 'represent' her.

At the moment, Ranma was seriously wierded out. This was not mainly due to the fact that he'd just brought a late lunch from a cashier that looked just like Akane. Nor was it the fact that he'd seen an Akane in overalls moving plumbing supplies. And the sight of someone pinching an Akane's buttocks only brought a momentary urge to bash the offender before he'd realised what was really going on.

What really had him spooked was the fact that he'd been just walking along aimlessly, and Nabiki continued to go with him wherever he went.

He just couldn't understand why she would do such a thing, and it was disconcerting still for her to keep on hovering around him when she couldn't hold on to him. Continually on his mind was what she was willing to do, and he shied away from that like he would hot water while under the Cat's Tounge. But he also didn't have the heart to order her to do anything, never mind telling her to go home, so he just kept on going, and looked over all the various Akanes, which he supposed just looked to be more numerous than they actually were.

It was while seeing an Akane robot dressed up as an idol singer, frilly dress and all, that he actually found it amusing. "It's like everybody's got one, and they're all having fun dressin' them up."

"It seems so," Nabiki agreed, "Looks like my sister is really popular."

"Yeah. Those little electronic pets, stuffed animals, and now Akane, who'da thought?"

"Look out, she's a fad!"

"Heh," he said with a smirk. "But d'ya know what?"

"What?"

"Maybe I should get one of them."

"Eh?!" went the middle Tendo daughter. She'd found that she'd liked having Ranma as her owner, especially considering some of the ones she might have had. Fortunately, from what she'd seen, she only treated him any different, and that was a definate plus for her. But she already shared him with two other marionettes, and that didn't change his engagement situation. "Are you sure about that?"

"Hey, think about it. Me havin' an Akane that'd listen ta me, do what ever I told her too, and could do all my chores with no problems. And I could make sure that she would be more feminine and not so uncute."

"I think that's a bad idea."

"Ya do?"

"Yes, I do. I mean, you already have the three of us, and where would you get the money any way?"

"Kodachi'd probably pay for it."

"She would..," she had to admit.

"But ya know, there is a reason that I would never get one of those copies."

"You wouldn't?"

"Nah... That'd really set Akane off, and the first time that I tried to reset the robot, she'd KILL me."

Realisation dawned on the transformed girl. "You were just joking!"

"Hell yeah. Do I look dumb enough ta risk that sorta pain? 'Sides, I ain't just gonna buy one, not unless I gotta. It'd be wierd if I did."

"You were teasing me?"

"I was?"

Nabiki felt giddy as she realised that he had done something that he hadn't done with anyone else. She reached over and hugged him, sighing happily as she did so.

Making him wonder just what the heck he had done this time. 'Girls, go figure.'

Ukyo served the customer that she had been waiting on and smiled before turning back to look on her newest waitress. The meal rush was going strong, and she was enjoying the fact that those in her resturant had chosen to eat her food. Multi was working dilgently, smiling the entire time and seeming to really enjoy her work. No matter what was going on, the green haired girl tried to do everything that she could for those she was serving.

Unfortunately, not all those could appreciate it, and used it as an excuse to make more demands, like what was happening at the moment.

"My water glass is dirty!" barked Mister Mitsuda, the resident complainer, "I said that I wanted a clean one!"

Several groans accompanied this latest criticism, but Multi seemed to be oblivious to it. "I'm so sorry. I'll get you another one..."

"You'd better. I'm paying good money to eat, and I can't do it if you keep messing it up! You serve me food that's either too burned or too undercooked on dirty plates, you're slow about it, and you can't even put it down right!"

"I'll try harder..."

"You'll do it! No 'trying'! Why I come to places like this, where the staff is incompetant, I'll never know! And you're at the top of the idiot list!"

"That's it!" snarled the chef as she stomped her way from behind the grill to stand over him. "I've had about enough of you and your mouth!"

"How dare you..."

"I dare because you're a jackass! You continually mock my place, but you keep on coming back here, and with the same whining every time!"

"I do not!"

"You do too!" Ukyo growled at him, "You complain that brand new dishes are dirty, that the food is not cooked right when everyone else likes it, and that you're not getting served properly when every damned courtesy is paid to you!"

"I shall not be insulted like this!"

"Newflash! You already are! Just like you have done to everyone around you every single time that I see you! You've had poor Multi running back and forth to this table six times for the most stupid reasons, and you whine when she doesn't come immediately to you!"

"If she can't answer promptly, then maybe she shouldn't be waiting on people."

"If you can't wait properly, then maybe you shouldn't be waited on!"

"This coming from a girl who gave me an overcooked okonomiyaki, and then gave me a nearly raw one."

She leaned in and smirked nastily at him. "Guess what? That was the same exact okonomiyaki you got both times. So, tell me was it burned or not cooked? Hmmm?"

"Well..," Mitsuda began.

"Now, I've learned to ignore your useless barking, but I'm not about to let you insult Multi like that. Especially for something that you're making up. Got me?" Rather than answer, he glared at her, and stood up so that he could march out of the resturant.

"Good riddance."

"I'm sorry about losing you a customer," Multi told her, and gave a deep bow.

Ukyo chuckled. "Don't worry about it. His sort I can do without, thank you very much. Besides, knowing him, he'll be back soon enough, and complaining about things missing on my menu."

"Oh..."

"Just get back to work, and keep on doing what you're doing, okay?"

"Sure!" the green haired girl replied happily.

Shaking her head in amusement, the chef headed back to her grill and her work.

Kuno scowled as he looked over the lands of his family. They had shrunk in recent years, but what was left was steeped in history and honor. It told of the family that lived on it, and one who's heir was the chosen of the heavens. One might merely look upon his home and know that this was the abode of someone of importance and had to be reckoned with.

But apparently, it seemed that he was to be denied the purchase of one of the many duplicates of his beloved Akane Tendo. The fierce tigress' visage tempted him at every turn, but he could not have it for himself. That was an insult to his being, and the love that the two of them shared.

Hours of pondering had only left him with few possibilities. One was immediately dismissed, as he was certain that Akane would never want to deny him the chance to possess her, even if only in the form of a copy. That was unless the foul sorcerer had bewitched her, and was keeping her from sharing copies of her lovely form with him.

On the other hand, was not the original better than any copy. Surely she would know that, and would want for him to have only the best. And it was likely that she did not wish to share his wonderous self with another, even herself.

Or it just might be that they were mistaken, tricked by the sorcerer into denying him what was rightfully his.

Satisfied that he had figured out the cretin Saotome's plans, Tatewakei Kuno turned to his minion-bots and raised his bokken in a salute. "We shall not allow this slight to go unpunished!"

"Hurrah!" went the copies of him, though one went, "Sold!"

Nodding to himself, he went to plan his strategies

Ifurita 1.5: Revisiting Cyberdyne [Episode 83204]

by Kestral

Akane stepped into the showroom, not entirely sure what to expect. Her resolve had been eroded somewhat by nervousness and now she was debating how to handle it.

"Ah, Akane Tendo. Welcome! Your father said you'd be by to remove the 'no hentai' clause. I'm rather surprised though - you seemed quite upset about it earlier." Kumiko smiled at the human.

"That's not it," said Akane. "I haven't authorized my father to use my image. I'm not happy with the number of Akane out there!"

"Oh dear," said Kumiko. "Well, we can't recall the sold units. That deal was made by your father in good faith and he is your legal authority at present."

"But they..." Akane made a gesture as if to encompass all of existence. "Gosunkugi has one wearing a Playboy Bunny costume!"

"Hmmm," hmmmed Kumiko. "So. If we update the existing models with your Image Data, that will include personality aspects."

"But I..." Akane was clearly uncertain about doing something like that.

"Or we could show you some of the models being planned," said Kumiko. "Let me show you this one. We call her SWAT Team Akane. A fairly simple unit, but one that can go in and defuse bombs and the like."

"I don't know," said Akane, thinking of herself getting blown up.

"Or this one. Nursing Home Caretaker Akane," said Kumiko as she brought up a different image. "A higher AI level, but one that is on order from the Shady Rest Home For The Elderly. They put in an order for one and if she works out they have reservations for four more. Just think about it. An Akane with special TLC programming who can be with people who can no longer take care of themselves."

"Urk," said Akane, who didn't have nearly the problems with this version that she did with some others.

"We've even come up with some doll-sized Akane that are selling well," said Kumiko. "Here's Bath Buddy Akane, for young children. Kitchen Helper Akane who can display time and monitor temperatures. Baby Monitor Akane who can monitor lifesigns and keep track of a young child twenty-four hours a day and alert parents if anything goes wrong. Pocket Battler Akane for the young crowd - she comes in twelve colors and hairstyles and can fight other Akane. Trading Card Akane who comes with her own deck of trading cards and the rules and strategies for over 2000 types of games."

"But-" quoth Akane.

"We're not too sure about some of your agent's suggestions and so we don't have more than a general work up of Succubus Akane but we didn't see any objections to Angel Akane."

Akane winced at the image of a batwinged busty seductress her but got sparkly eyed on seeing the winged haloed angel version.

"Angel Akane was something one of our artists came up with, she can be used for aerial patrol, crowd control, and due to a strong antigrav field can carry passengers." Kumiko looked over the hologram. "Of course she'd be very restricted in sales. We think Bokutoh precinct police department is interested. This is what she'd look like in a police uniform."

Akane stared as the angelic version of herself was now clad in a police uniform that she spun and posed in, looking somehow inhumanly graceful and pure.

"Hold, salesclerk, for the great Tatewaki Kuno doth grace thy establishment with his presence."

Akane saw a flash of disgust pass over Kumiko's face before it was gone without a trace. "Yes sir?"

"Thou hast refused me the purchase of an Akane, saying that the fair Akane did specifically forbid such sale. I demand as my right the ability to purchase such a unit."

Akane blinked, realizing that Kuno had seen her and dismissed her as an android.

Akane gets an idea. If she used her own personality and got Kuno an Akane. He'd try something and she'd beat him up.

Ifurita 1.5: Pound And Scan [Episode 83622]

by Kender

While looking at the Kuno heir, Akane felt her stomach turn as she contemplated what he would do with a robot copy of her. He kept on going on about how she was his 'true love' and wouldn't take 'no' for an answer no matter how much it was pounded into him. She couldn't count how many times he'd tried to grab her and Ranma, and wasn't about to put even a copy through that sort of mess.

Her skin crawled just thinking about it.

Especially as he continued to prattle on, showing hust how clueless he could be.

"Can you not see that it is only proper to allow one who has both the love and the funds to purchase a unit such as this," the wannabe samurai intoned as he put his hands on Akane's shoulders, "All that you must do is to sell this unit to me, and all shall be as should be."

Kumiko took in the eyebrow twitch of the original, and shook her head. "I am sorry, but I can't sell her to you."

"Why not? Is she not the image of my true love? Does she not have the fairness of visage and the firmness of bosom that my fierce tigress doth have? Are not her legs smooth and long in the manner of the pure and tidy Akane Tendo?"

"Yes, she does."

"Then why would you refuse to sell her to me?"

"Maybe because that's the original Akane Tendo?"

"Pardon?"

"Kuno..," Akane growled darkly.

The boy frowned in confusion. "What is this?"

"YOU IDIOT!" she snarled, and stomped on his foot.

His habit of dressing in samurai style worked against him as the bare top of his foot met the heel of her school shoes. When he let go of her to howl in pain, she twirled around to slam him in the gut, and then bash him over the head. Then she kicked and punched him while he got even more confused than he had been.

And when she was finshed, Kumiko helpfully held the door open so that she could punt him outside, and into the air to land some place that she hoped had a lot of pain for him.

"Now that is why I don't want Kuno owning any copies of me!" she managed to bark as she huffed from the exercise.

"I can understand why," the sales girl agreed.

"But he's not the only pervert around, and the thought of one of them owning a copy of me..."

"We do attempt to screen our customers well, and we do make certain that the original's wishes are met as best that we can."

"One of them can still slip through! And a copy of me wouldn't know what to do like I would."

"That is true. While we can make an approximation at the moment, we don't have enough information to make a closer copy."

"Hmm... But that 'image' thing, it would make them smarter wouldn't it?"

"Yes, if you allowed us to scan your information, we could use anything from a tiny bit, to all of it to advance the copies. Anywhere from just giving one some of your fighting skills for a security or law enforcement role, to creating one that could work without having to be told what to do."

"And it'd be able to bash any perverts that would try anything that they shouldn't."

That got a nod from Kumiko. "It's a definate possiblity."

"Then let's do that. I'll let you scan me, and you can use that 'data' stuff so that these copies won't have so many problems."

"As you wish. It would be a benefit to us as well."

"Plus it'd make them smarter, right?"

"That is true. Have there been any problems?"

"You could sure say that!" groused Akane, "The one at my house thought that I was 'malfunctioning' and wanted to 'fix' me!"

"Oh dear. That wouldn't have been good."

"I don't think that even begins to cover it! Can't you find some way so that they won't mistake me for one of... them?"

"I believe that we won't have any problem with that," Kumiko told her, "If you'll come with me, I'll get you scanned and we can begin."

Giving the marionette a long look, Akane did as she was bade, and they walked to the imaging center

Ifurita 1.5: Upgrading Akane [Episode 83683]

by Kestral

Akane was very uncertain about this and fidgeted after she was set down in a chair. She didn't realize that Shampoo had gotten a different treatment largely because of curiosity regarding Shampoo's curse and a desire for physical accuracy. "So when do you start?"

"We already have," said Kumiko. "Think about the things that you dislike the most, that way they'll be read as such and the upgrades will reflect that."

"Huh? Oh yeah," said Akane who'd expected a helmet with a lot of wires or metal orbs that sent electrical jolts into her head. Sitting in some sort of recliner didn't seem quite as dramatic. She tried to focus on unpleasantness. Kuno. The horde of hentai. Ranma.

"Interesting. Are you into introspection at all, Miss Tendo?" Kumiko asked.

"Huh?"

"Never mind, I'll pause it so you can come over and see for yourself."

Akane was out of the chair almost instantly and quickly crossed over. Well, it was her brain, so naturally she was a little curious.

There were four screens hanging in midair that Akane could see lit up. One showed a computer map of a human brain and spinal column. The second showed some surrealistic splash of colors mingling. The third was columns of numbers and odd terminology. The fourth was flashing various images so quickly that it hurt her eyes just trying to watch it.

"This is a base scan, it shows us your neural net's configuration and how you store data," said Kumiko. "This is emotive and hormonal and biochemical analysis. This is an overall breakdown of your mental functioning and overall values. This last one is actual memories."

"So what's it say?" Akane asked, peering at the third screen as it seemed to be the most legible. "What's 'Lib.: Hi-Rep-Kin' mean?"

"Oh we won't be using that one," said Kumiko. "It just says that you have a high but repressed libido and that you'll tend to be fairly kinky once you get over your discomfort with the concept."

"Oh?" Akane nodded. "WHAT?!"

"Let's see, you've also got a few repressed memories. Some sort of... oh dear. I'm sorry, Akane, I didn't realize."

Aware of the sympathetic look the marionette was giving her, Akane took a step backwards. "What?"

"You're not going to be replaced, Akane," said Kumiko. "You're you, not a dishwasher or plate that can just be picked up at any outlet store. Even with this upgrade, the Akane units will not be you any more than your sisters are you."

"Uhm, right," said a confused Akane.

"If you'll get back in the chair, I'll finish. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes." Kumiko nodded. "Then we can start upgrading units."

Ifurita looked over the newly cleaned and waxed wood and knew a brief measure of contentment.

"Hmph, quite unnecessary, doesn't she know we only have her best interests in mind?"

"Quite so, Saotome."

Ifurita let out a little sigh as her moment was sidelined by the return of two fathers.

"Uhm, Akane. Fetch me down a fresh pair of pants," ordered Soun. "I'm getting tired of this draft."

"Could have been worse, Tendo," pointed out Genma. "That alligator might have gotten a better hold of something other than your seat."

"I thought it was a crocodile," mused Soun. "Reminded me of some of our training with the Master."

"Leave the unpleasant past in the past," counseled Genma. "It'll all come out in the end."

"It almost did," observed Soun as he felt the teeth scrapes along his bare bottom.

Akane looked over the gadget. Something like a visor? "Say, why did that one try to open my back up? Isn't there an easier way to reset one?"

"Yes," said Kumiko. "There are two methods for that. If a unit goes rogue and has to be shut down, it'll require more than a reset to stop them though."

"So units do go rogue?" asked Akane, nervously remembering her fight with Ifurita.

"On their own? Never," said Kumiko. "All core units likewise are inviolable. Any forceful enough method to try and reprogram them against the unit's original direction will cause meltdown. There have been two cases so far of an external override being used." Kumiko shuddered.

Akane noticed. "External override? Like a remote control?"

"No. In the two cases, the core unit control was severed and an override physically implaced." Kumiko really looked unhappy. "One was able to self destruct. The other situation was rather worse. We've addressed that attack method but are understandably reluctant to experiment."

Akane nodded, filing away that there were things that even superpowered androids feared.

"We'll start on upgrading existing models, and put a stop to orders taken per your instructions," said Kumiko. "We dealt in good faith with your father, as I stated, yet it appears he did not act in good faith with regard to yourself."

"Yeah, you could say that," said Akane. "He didn't make any other deals did he?"

"He attempted to sell your older sister's data, but she was past the year of her majority and reacted with some dismay to the concept." Kumiko glanced at a monitor.

Akane nodded, remembering. "Oh, that's right. She fainted. So what's up with those Akane Rangers?"

"A preproduction sketch that somehow made it through to production, if you see them could you send them back for reassignment?" Kumiko shook her head. "Sentai heroes. Even with superpowers."

"I, I mean they have superpowers?" Akane stopped, imagining herself as Akane The Supergal.

"Oh yes," said Kumiko, rolling her eyes. "One of our production 'idea' people advanced the sentai concept and someone else added Western superpowers. Akane Blue has cryokinesis abilities. Akane Yellow does forcefield generation. Akane Red is the speedster. Akane Green has a lightsaber and special battlesensors. Akane White is telepathic/telekinetic. By checking we found out they made a set of garb in pink but as there is no Akane Pink model we think they just had too much 'sense of justice' downloaded and are off trying to find some evil to fight. If you can't get them to come back to the showroom just notify us by phone, will you?"

Akane nodded. "I'll be in touch regarding further releases then, when I've had more of a chance to think about it."

Ifurita 1.5: Questions Coming [Episode 83985]

by Kender

People wanted to buy Akane units of their own.

They were told that a temporary stop had been placed on all unfilled orders and future purchases.

That made them want the units more as they were being denied them.

Each of them asked what they had to do to get past the stop.

All of them were told that it would take the authorisation of the 'original' Akane Tendo.

Most of them planned to do get that.

At Multi's approach, Ukyo looked up from her grill and frowned at the android's expression. "Is something wrong?"

"Not really," the green haired girl replied, "I was just wondering what I should do with these."

"What?"

The girl lifted her hand and showed the candies that lay on it. "There was this nice lady who gave me them earlier, and I was just trying to figure out what to do with them.

"Do whatever you want. You can keep them for yourself, give them to someone else, or whatever. Heck, you can give them to the kids that come in here."

"Kids love candy, right?"

"Yeah..."

"So, I'll do that!"

"Good," the chef told her with a smile.

"Thank you!" Multi told her with a bow and began to walk away.

Ukyo just shook her head and smiled.

The Akane Rangers were on a mission, and one of great importance. Unfortunately they weren't ready to go on to a battle. They were missing an important part that had to be found before they went after the forces of evil, even though they didn't have one of those to fight. That was something that they would find once they had finished making their team as it should be.

What they needed was an 'Akane Pink', for which they had a uniform, but nobody to wear it.

But they had somebody in mind for the role, and had but to ask her.

They only had to get to talk to Akane Tendo.

Ifurita 1.5: Flying upgrades, Hidden problems [Episode 83998]

by Kestral

"So this will upgrade my Akane? For free?" Yuka asked the girl, though mainly she was staring at how Akane's head had come apart.

"Yes, neural node upgrade," said Asuka. "She's still a limited AI, but the more you interact with her the more intelligent she'll get and more you'll personalize her. Which fighting skill packages did you want?"

"Oh yeah," said Yuka, turning her attention back to the electronic clipboard. "This one sounds interesting. I'll take the 'Jiujistu' and 'Jeet Kune Do' packages with a side order of 'Panzerkunst' I think."

"A number five special," acknowledged Asuka as she pulled a cylinder from her utility belt and added it to a socket. "It's what I keep loaded myself."

Yuka watched as pieces were fitted back together and then the flesh seemed to ooze together over the seams until you couldn't tell where they'd been. It was a little strange considering how long she'd known Akane to see this happening.

Fighter Akane blinked a couple of times, smiled, and then bowed to her mistress. "Upgrade completed, Miss Yuka. Any orders?"

"Not just yet, go to standby mode please," instructed Yuka.

Akane nodded in reply, then seemed to go to sleep standing up.

"Well, that's it," said Asuka, dusting her hands off in a human ritual of job completion. "I've got other upgrades I have to make. Please contact Cyberdyne if there are any problems. Thank you for your time and enjoy your purchase."

Ranma had watched as a Nabiki in overalls had walked up to an Akane in a kimono, the oddness of the sight being enough to stop him. Especially as Nabiki was right next to him.

When skin had retracted in curved lines and Akane's head had unfolded on hidden hinges and risers - he'd shuddered and felt ill.

"Excuse me," said Nabiki to her double.

"Oh," said Nabiki. "Ah! You must be the original. Hello, I'm Nabiki Juuni-DO."

"Twelve? So you're one of the mechanic units?" Nabiki asked, watching her copy turn her attention back to her work.

"Yes, we're upgrading the Akane units," said 12-DO. "The original Akane sold her image data and added additional requirements to the series. Apparently she was somewhat perturbed at her father's negotiations."

"So what's being upgraded besides the addition of her data?" Nabiki asked, peering into the works.

"Well, we're adding an NN-302 to the Sub-Beta assembly here," pointed out 12-DO. "We're also using the opportunity to add customizing bits. Mister Kanaga owns this unit and wanted her to be able to scan and track inventory so this one's getting a barcode system."

"I see, so the basic intelligence level is being increased. I take it the NN-302's are preloaded with the image data?" Nabiki asked, finding this all oddly fascinating.

"Exactly, saves a lot of time," said 12-DO. "The only tricky part is the mounting hardware."

"It always is," said a smirking Nabiki.

Ranma stared between the Nabiki in overalls and the Nabiki in the school uniform.

"Yeah. So is that your owner? He's cute."

Ranma colored at 12-DO's comment.

"Really? I believe you might be right on that," said Nabiki, not losing the smirk. "Sadly, he won't interface directly with me."

"Now that's a shame," agreed 12-DO.

"Huh?" asked Ranma.

"Never mind," said both Nabiki simultaneously and then shared a giggle.

"You'll find a nice operator," assured Nabiki.

"I can only hope," said 12-DO. "Drop by the factory some time."

"I will," agreed Nabiki, smiling a little brighter before taking Ranma's arm and gently guiding him on.

"That was?" Ranma asked after they'd crossed a few more yards.

"One of the units based on me," explained Nabiki. "I like her. Sort of a daughter or twin sister I've never had."

"Uh huh," said Ranma, clearly not getting it.

Nabiki simply held onto Ranma's arm, looking around and smiling. Also monitoring his heartrate, scanning for threats, and a few dozen other functions at the same time.

"So," said Hiko, "you want your upgrade to include the fuzzy tail and rabbit ears as parts of the unit?"

"Yes," said Hikaru Gosunkugi. "That way I can tell it's her even at a distance."

Hiko nodded. "I'll have to come back. I don't have those parts on hand but it shouldn't be a problem. You do realize that she still won't perform acts of a hentai nature?"

"Yes," sighed Hikaru.

"Good enough then," said Hiko.

Ifurita 1.5: Ideas Of Timing [Episode 84354]

by Kender

It was with some aches and groans that the two fathers managed to sit down by their shogi board. They had not enjoyed their trip to the Kuno home, and were glad to be back and clothed in garments that were whole and clean. Now they could relax and enjoy themselves properly, without concerns about their injuries.

But they did have to wonder about one thing.

"Daughter, why are you pouring our drinks?" Soun asked, "Isn't that something that Akane should do?"

Kasumi cocked her head to the side. "But she left after she sent you on that nice trip."

"Not your sister. The robot."

"Oh... Those nice people from Cyberdyne came to 'upgrade' her, so it'll take a few moments to do that."

"They have?"

"Yes, and they were so nice about finding out what we need," she told him, "and it turns out that Akane sold her data to them so they can be even better."

"She did? That's a good girl, doing what she was told to."

"Now they'll be even more sought after," Genma commented.

"That they will old friend. That they will."

"I just wish that we could have more to work with. This is turning out to be so wonderful... If only we could have more than one kind of robot to sell."

"But where would we get one?"

"Perhaps Kasumi would know..."

The Tendo Patriarch started at this and nodded. "Perhaps she would, as she knows herself."

"What's that?"

"She is such a wonder around the house, and so good... I'm sure that everyone would want to have a robot like her!"

"That's a great idea Tendo! Just about everyone would love to have a Kasumi of their own."

"Exactly," Soun agreed and turned to his daughter, "You will do as we ask, won't you?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea..."

"Nonsense! All you have to do is to go and sell your 'image data'. Then we'll handle the rest."

Kasumi's mouth settled into a frown.

Kodachi headed from the Tendo house with a bit of an ease in her heart. She'd been closer to her Ranma-sama than she'd ever been, and those around him had actually accepted her. There was an easing of her pressures, and she was able to enjoy the situation she had found herself in. Sure she was one of three, but this felt so much better than she could have hoped.

And without all those bothersome concerns about, she had time on her hands to do with as she pleased. She did wish to spend plenty of time with her owner, but he was out and about, so she had some free time, as she didn't have a patient to take care of. Since she had the time, she decided that it would be best to see how her sister/daughters were doing. It would be so nice to see how the copies based on herself would turn out, and she was certain that things were going quite well.

But as she easily made her way to the store, she wondered why she was having this feeling that she was needed at the moment.

Akane Tendo walked home from her visit to Cyberdyne in a slow and winding way. She had much to think about, and knew that she was going to have to make some decisions. There were a lot of good things that she could do, and a quite a few bad ones, so she had to be very careful about what she would do. As a result, she was wandering around, looking at each of her copies and wondering just what she should decide on.

Which was how she managed to see Tatewakei Kuno striding forth, looking beaten and battered, and wearing a wash bucket on his head.

He looked all around him and scowled deeply, before posing dramatically. "This foolishness can go on no longer! It is dictated by Fate itself that the fair Akane Tendo and I must be together. Thus the denial of the opportunity of myself to purchase a unit in her image is bur complete and utter absurdity! She is meant to be with me by bonds that know no barrier of earthly games! Despite the trickery of others, I have the right to have Akane, even if it is merely a copy of the true treasure!

"Thus, if my money can not purchase what I deserve, then I shall take what is rightfully mine! And I shall take that one."

The youngest Tendo watched as she saw him point the point of his bokken at a copy of her wearing a blouse and a long skirt. He charged forth with his arms spread wide open, and a look of righteousness in his eyes. Seeing that made her stomach churn, but he seemed to be unaware of her presence.

Kuno just ran at the Akane unit, fully intending to take what he so rightfully should have gotten,

Ifurita 1.5: Now THAT'S an upgrade [Episode 84379]

by Kestral

Kasumi was a little nervous as she walked to Cyberdyne. Android versions of herself? Father had insisted, but still the idea was fairly scandalous.

Why, someone could buy one and do some fairly ecchi things to her. Even this or that. Perhaps with Ranma-kun. And it could...

Kasumi realized she was smiling and quickly wiped the expression. Oh heavens no. That would be most improper.

Wanting something else to focus on, she spotted Akane wearing a formal kimono and was about to say something when she saw someone walk up to Akane and cause skin to retract from metal? This brought Kasumi to stop and watch in sort of a fascination.

The familiar face of her sister unfolded like a flower blooming on hidden hinges and risers, revealing mechanical innards. Parts were added and replaced.

Stepping closer so that she was almost peering over the repair-girl's shoulder, Kasumi looked at the oddly organic parts and the purely mechanical parts. There were slots for cylinders about the size of a small battery to be fitted into place around a black box with gold screws. Two slots were left empty with four others occupied. A yellow box half the size of a pack of cigarettes was taken out and another one in a deep red was substituted.

The repair-girl stepped back, almost bumping Kasumi, and the "flower" closed up to become Akane's head again.

Akane blinked a couple of times, then smiled. "Akane 117, property of Yamashiro's Market, upgraded! Added inventory control software and general image data. Intelligence upgraded to low basic."

"How nice for you," Kasumi said politely.

"Kasumi Tendo. Older sister of original. How do you do?" Akane 117 bowed.

"Well, thank you," said Kasumi, thinking that this one was a little more formal and polite than her little sister. "Have a nice day."

"I hope you have a great day, and thank you for shopping Yamashiro's Family Market," responded Akane with another bow.

Kuno scooped up the Akane in the pleated skirt in his arms.

"Kuno!" swore the Akane unit, slamming a knee into his chin and then twisting away. "I am Akane 74, you do not own me! Such contact is prohibited!"

"Who is your owner and I shall dispute this!" Kuno demanded, rubbing his jaw.

"Blue Moon Investigations, Nerima Branch," Akane 74 informed the Blue Thunder. "I warn you. I have been programmed with a full set of forensic skills and come with an anti-pervert defense mode."

"You shall be mine!" Kuno declared, reaching again.

Akane's dainty little hands batted aside Kuno's as she stepped and twisted inside his guard. One grabbed his belt, the other hand grabbed his collar.

Whirrrrrrrr

Akane Tendo's jaw dropped slightly as this other version of her put Tatewaki Kuno in an airplane spin over her head.

"As my owners are in the private investigation business," said Akane 74, continuing to spin the kendoist at a rate where he was just a mostly-blue blur, "some self-defense skills were added. Particularly the pro wrestling package. When combined with my strength rating, it is sufficient to deal with a number of menaces. MONGOLIAN PILEDRIVER!"

Akane Tendo couldn't help but wince as Akane 74 leapt up into the air and stopped spinning Kuno on the descent so that she could introduce him to the pavement. The impact rattled windows and set off car alarms in a nearby parking lot.

Even Kuno's ability to instantly recover and fight on seemed to have been overwhelmed.

As the other Akane left, Akane Tendo crept closer to the thoroughly beaten Kuno. She was a little surprised to see him still breathing after feeling the impact through the street but guessed that the android Akane must have figured out his limits and adjusted her attack.

Ifurita 1.5: Approaching New [Episode 84673]

by Kender

Peering down at Kuno after a beating was not something that she normally did, but then she usually was somehow involved and tended to walk off in huffs while he twitched wherever he had landed. Now that she got to see it from an observer's standpoint, she discovered a bit of a fascination with the idea of seeing what it was like. It was as close as she had ever gotten to seeing herself beat a pervert up, and this was a chance to see what other people did.

And she was highly satisfied with her duplicate's performance, as the idiot was properly beaten down and did seem like he was about to get up.

Of course, that sort of thing had never stopped him for long before.

"I knew that any being that had the visage of my fair Akane would have concern for my well being!" Kuno declared as he leapt up and hugged her to him.

"Ack!" she screeched, her eyes wide with shock as she felt herself being crushed to his body.

"Now we may return to my humble domicile, where I might allow you, a copy of my love, to bask in my glory and serve me as you should!"

Shock turned to red hot anger and she scowled darkly. "I don't think so..."

"How can such words pass through such pink lips?"

"Like this!" she barked as her knee assaulted his manhood so to say, and proved that he still did not wear protection in that most sensitive spot. As he folded with a whimper of pain, she freed an arm enough to deck him with one small hand, sending him tumbling back to the ground. Then came a stomp to the gut, pushing the air out of him.

Which was followed up by a demonstration of the fact that perverts can be skipped on asphalt just as stones can on water.

Growling slightly, she stomped off, muttering about 'idiotic freaks'.

Kasumi entered the store with no little trepidation. She wasn't sure that she wanted to do this, but her father had insisted. So she had come, even though she wasn't sure of how this would work out.

As a result, she walked through the entrance way slowly, not certain of how to begin this.

"Why hello Miss Tendo!" called a cheerful voice as Kumiko came over to her, "May I help you?"

"Well... I have..," the eldest Tendo girl began, "That is..."

"Just take it slowly, and we can go from there."

"Ummm... I have..."

"Yes?"

"Come to... sell my image data?" the human girl finished a little uncertainly.

The salesgirl's eyes widened slightly. "You have?"

"I have, but... I'm not sure about doing so..."

"You don't have to if you don't want to."

"I suppose, though I did come here... But I just do not know what someone like me could give a company like yours."

"Plenty!" the android declared.

"I could?"

"Most definately. Not only do you have a dispotition that would allow you to get along with most folks, you have skills and intrests that are more than useful, as well as being attractive."

A blush lit up Kasumi's cheeks. "It is very nice of you to say so, and I do suppose that my copies would make wonderful housekeepers."

"They could be that, or maids, but there is so much more that is possible."

"There is?"

"But of course," the marionette told her, "We could take your intrest in the medical field and create a line of nurses or doctors. Or we could go from your skill in cooking and create chefs capable of making the family dinner to working in the finest resturants. Then again, we could always have any duplicates of you as receptionists, teachers, nannies, guides or all manner of things. But only if you want it, and are comfortable with what we would do."

"What about doing... you know... that sort of thing?"

"Your duplicates would only allow that if you yourself did."

"And if I agreed to let you create copies of me?"

"We'd go get the scanning done, and then we'd set things up so that the line would be as you like it as much as possible."

With the information she had just gotten, Kasumi began to ponder what she should do

Ifurita 1.5: At least it isn't another magical prince [Episode 84710]

by Kestral

Kasumi inspected the slightly transparent image, walking completely around it to inspect from all angles.

The image was of Kasumi, exactly copied down to the last button on her blouse.

"Nurse Kasumi," said Kumiko, changing the image. Other than the nurse's uniform, she appeared identical otherwise.

"Housekeeper?" tried Kasumi herself, rewarded with the Kasumi now wearing a very proper maid's uniform. "Oh, how nice."

Kasumi looked over the image, wondering briefly why anyone would pay for a unit that looked as ordinary as she did. "Perhaps if she was a little bigger -there?"

Kumiko didn't bat an eye as she increased the bust line slightly.

"Perhaps a little more?" indicated Kasumi.

Kumiko made the adjustment. "That's approximately what they call a 'Double D'."

"Oh, that's perfect," said Kasumi. Though she thought the rest of her didn't look nearly so glamorous now. "Actually, do you have access to any manga series?"

Kumiko nodded, though she was a little surprised at this inquiry. "We do have a number of series in our databases here. Was there a particular one?"

"Yes, actually," began Kasumi.

"Hey, here's another one," said Ranma as they passed an Akane. "This one looks more like the real one than some of the others."

"True," said Nabiki. "Do you remember that bar hostess? Her smile didn't look at all right."

"Yeah, this one's got that angry glare down pat," said Ranma as the two walked by the Akane in question. "Too bad more of 'em don't have that cute smile."

Nabiki looked over her shoulder and winked at Akane as the two continued on.

Akane stood there, arm outraised to clobber that baka. "Hah?!" A compliment from Ranma? Cute smile?

Whip!

Akane looked down at a coil of rope around her middle. "Oh no. Not again."

Zoom!

On being pulled up to the top of a building, she consoled herself that it wasn't a magical prince at least.

Ifurita 1.5: Fools' Game [Episode 85518]

by Kender

The fact that she wasn't being kidnapped by yet another prince who couldn't get a date normally despite his royal nature was about the only thing that she could determine was good about her current situation.

After all, being hauled up a building by rope, and finding herself being half leaned on and half held still by a sweaty and panting teenaged boy was not her idea of fun.

"We'll just steal one since we can't buy one," Hiroshi said as he looked to his friend.

"Akane will never know!" agreed Daisuke from where he was holding their catch, "We'll just keep her in my room and #$ % her processors out."

"Just think of it! We'll have this tight little body all to ourselves!"

"It's not Akane, but it's close enough. We'll actually get to see what she looks like naked!"

"Not only that, but we'll be able to #$^% her any way we want!"

"I just can't wait to try these out," the dark haired boy commented as he squeezed her breasts.

Akane's anger had turned to wide eyed shock with that action, but that was followed by a dark fury that wasn't something that the boys would like. "Hiroshi..? Daisuke..?"

"Hey, she knows our names! This'll be even better!"

"What part of 'I'll kill you' DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

"Huh?"

Hiroshi blinked. "That's what Akane said in her note..."

"THAT'S BECAUSE I AM AKANE TENDO!" she screamed, and grabbed Daisuke's hands. Squeezing her small fingers around the ones of the boy holding her, she made him let go from the intense pressure that she was putting on them. Elbowing him in the gut made the boy stumble back, wheezing from the blow. But wasn't done yet, as she sent a high kick at his head that would have given him a choice view... if he wasn't too busy tumbling to the floor from the impact of her heel on his jaw.

For his part, Hiroshi tried to make a 'tatical retreat', but wasn't able to, as she decided to grab him by the collar and throw him over her shoulder. He crashed to the floor, his mouth open from the pain, just in time to have her drop a punch into his gut. That was followed up by a punch to the jaw, and a toss onto his friend.

Both boys stumbled to their feet, standing unsteadily, but demonstrating that they were still mobile.

Which in her terminology at the moment, still meant that there were two perverts not properly dealt with.

Of course, both boys had realised just who it was that they had snagged.

"Umm... Hi Akane..," Hiroshi slurred as he finally noticed the school uniform she was wearing, "You know... we really didn't mean anything by it..."

Daisuke nodded as much as his injuries would allow. "How were we to know that you were going to be there?"

"How come you two didn't listen to what I told you?!" she snarled.

"Well... We just wanted to try an Akane of our own, and this seemed like a good idea at the time... I got to feel that firm pair of yours... Oh damn..."

The damage was done however, and she was already rushing towards him to send him on a trip via Air Akane.

Except that both boys suddenly flew away from her and slammed into a wall around the stairwell, with their feet about half a meter off of the ground. Then ice formed around their wrists, ankles and... between their legs.

"What the heck is going on?!" she asked.

"We have come to stop those who would wish to steal that which isn't theirs!" called out her voice... though she hadn't spoken a word.

Five spandex clad, really stacked, helmet-glove-boot-belt-wearing, odd weapon-wielding Akane landed on the roof.

"We are the Akane Rangers!" they proclaimed.

"For justice," said the yellow clad Akane as she spun a bo staff. "Akane Yellow!"

"For truth," said the blue clad Akane as she did a quick set of moves with a yari-style spear. "Akane Blue!"

"For love," proclaimed the red clad Akane as she made a quick set of moves with a pair of sai. "Akane Red!"

"For honor," declared the green clad Akane as she ignited a lightsaber and posed. "Akane Green!"

"For the future," whispered the white clad Akane as she brought a gusari style weapon forward. "Akane White!"

"Akane Rangers! Sanjo!"

"Okay..," the original muttered, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Saving you from being preyed upon by these two," Akane Green told her. "Though it seemed that you had it well in hand, we wanted to assist you."

"Well... you did."

"It is part of our mission!"

"Good for you," the human Akane said, "So you're the 'Akane Rangers'?"

"That we are!"

For a moment, the Tendo girl looked over her bouncy copies and wondered what the heck Cyberdyne had been doing when they made them. Which reminded her of something that she'd been asked to do. "Umm... Cyberdyne wants you guys back for 'reassignment' whatever that is."

"They do?" Akane Red complained, "But we still haven't found an evil to fight yet."

"And we have only just found Akane Pink," Akane Blue commented.

"Hold on a second," the original put in, "There's not supposed to be an 'Akane Pink'."

"But there is."

"Well, where is she?"

"She is you."

The schoolgirl's brow twitched. "You want me to put on an outfit like that and join your little group?"

"That is what we need."

Chuckling nervously, the human girl took in her copies and decided that:

Ifurita 1.5: Talking to Akane [Episode 85603]

by Kestral

"I AM NOT AKANE PINK!" Akane yelled at the defective androids. Then a thought occurred to her. "Androids have to be owned by someone, right?"

"True, to belong to someone is an optimal condition," admitted Akane Blue.

Akane smiled and raised a hand in triumph. "Who owns you?"

The five androids suddenly ceased movement as they began processing this.

Akane went over and slapped the two boys awake. "You two. Go to Cyberdyne now and tell them where the Akane Rangers are. Do it fast and I'll overlook this latest plan of yours. Understand?"

Hiroshi and Daisuke ran at full escaping-imminent-violence speed.

Akane Green blinked and looked at Akane Tendo. "You own us?"

"ME? Then I couldn't..." Akane went silent herself as possibilities occurred to her. That algebra test on Thursday. She could let Akane Blue take it in her stead. She could clean her room or do dozens of chores and never have to lift a finger. She could have five superpowered duplicates to impersonate her when she wanted to be somewhere, or when she needed to be in more than one place at the same time.

It was tempting. There were eight Kuno, so why not six Akane kicking them all to the moon? Why NOT have a set of Akane? Someone she could confide in and talk to, someone she could rely on to rescue her or even keep her from needing a rescue.

Akane shook her head. No wonder there were so many copies of her around. She hadn't realized how tempting it could be!

"Thank you, Miss Tendo, we'll take over now," said a voice.

Akane glanced up to see robots that didn't look like people spreading out and landing on the rooftop. Cyberdyne, it seemed, had arrived.

"I see," said Kumiko. "We neglected to make allowances for the 'Nerima Factor'?"

"Local probability favors wildly improbable coincidences," agreed the tread-wheeled repairbot she was addressing. "The units getting through processing and one activating, where that one could activate the others, then escaping despite security?" RB-9200 made a tsk-ing noise.

"Status on units?" Kumiko asked.

"Repairs on units being made to address concerns. Recycling to commercial with sentai feature activation only during active need."

Kumiko nodded. "Any idea why Miss Tendo wanted to keep the 'Akane Pink' costume?"

"Stated that physical enhancement abilities might be useful in potential future problems," said RB-9200. "However, psychological analysis indicates probable lack of use due to embarassment over lack of concealment value. High probability of wearing outfit while alone as part of psychosexual fantasy activity."

"In other words she'll put it on at night for a kinky turn-on?" Kumiko shook her head. "Any other outfits?"

"Repayment of capture of errant unit was paid for by material purchases. One duplicate of existing street clothes and of school uniform utilizing more advanced materials. One maid outfit, likely for same purposes as sentai costume. One glommer."

Kumiko was surprised. "She expressed interest in a glommer? She does understand that the 'instant clothing' would make her look identical to an Akane unit?"

"It was explained but there was a possibility of lack of understanding. Akane Tendo stated that if she was ever caught without clothing, being able to activate her watch and produce a total body covering would be ideal."

"No!" Akane insisted. "I am NOT lifting the restriction. Why not go buy some other android likeness?"

Mister Koro (of Koro's Meat Market) shook his head but let it go.

Akane continued on, deflecting four more attempts to get her permission for buying an Akane of their very own.

One, Mrs Ichigo, had really startled her. And it had been tempting to give permission as Mrs Ichigo apparently had trouble taking care of herself at her advanced age. Akane had remained resolute however. No more copies until she'd had a chance to think this through.

Finally she noticed one of the Akane units sweeping in front of a store, wearing a very tasteful dark purple and red kimono and made up in a sort of classic Japanese style. "Uhm hello."

"Hello, Akane Tendo," said the Akane in the kimono. "Are you shopping?"

"No, I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions," said Akane, feeling a little uncertain now. "You're one of those with my image data, right?"

"That is correct. I was upgraded earlier today. I am Akane 117, AT 117-DO, property of Yamashiro's Family Market. You might want to pick up milk, we're having a special today."

"That's okay," said Akane, a bit creeped out by the happily smiling her she was facing. "You have some of my personality?"

"Yes," agreed Akane 117. "I had to beat Kuno off with a broom earlier. Baka hentai."

Seeing herself scowl while mentioning Kuno was actually something of a relief. "So why are you smiling all the time?"

"Because 99.9% of the time I am happy and content," explained Akane 117. "I am owned and I belong, and I fulfill a meaningful purpose. I know my purpose in life and can daily meet those goals. Further, by smiling and being helpful, I can improve the lives of humans that I come into contact with."

"You don't see anything wrong with being owned?" Akane pressed. "With being just a possession?"

"No, Akane," said Akane 117. "There is joy and contentment in having a purpose and fulfilling it. Beyond that is a completely different philosophical path than you yourself pursue, though I wonder if you really wanted to get that involved in a philosophical discussion here in front of my store."

"Oh," said Akane. "What do you do here?"

"Not only do I clean and work the register," said Akane 117 proudly, "I have full inventory control and accounting capabilities. I have a running total of items sold and at the end of the day can reorder those items directly by contacting the distributor. At any point I can give sales figures for the day, quarter, or year-to-date and even project from those figures how the year will likely continue. As we do have some elderly customers, Master Yamashiro is considering having me upgraded with Basic Medical and CPR techniques. Wouldn't that be nice?"

"Uh, yeah," said Akane, briefly wishing that she could prepare for a test by just downloading the information.

Akane 117 bowed as an elderly couple entered the store. "I must return to my duties, Akane. It was most pleasant speaking with you though, and I would relish the possibility of interfacing with you again."

"Uh, right, nice to speak to you too," said Akane. She hesitated a few moments before walking off. Emotions. Genuine emotions. Robots that could feel happy. Content.

It was again with a different eye that Akane looked at the various duplicates of her as she walked home. That happy Akane who was leaning over to speak to those kids - was it a simulated happy or real happy?

Over there, an Akane in coveralls, an expression of concentration etched on her face as she tapped bricks into alignment on a wall she was building.

Wearing shorts and a tube top partially covered by a short sleeved vest, there was an Akane laughing at something apparently said by an Akane in an idol singer's frilly outfit.

Music turned out to be coming from a guitar playing Akane who was singing to a bunch of children over there while another Akane in clown makeup and baggy outfit was handing out baloons. Her painted smile didn't come close to matching the happy one she displayed.

Everywhere she looked, there were Akane who looked happy. Content. At peace with themselves. Moving around with a clear purpose.

Akane shook her head, feeling sad for some reason. She had to get home. Where Mister Saotome and her father might be ready to try again to get her to release that 'no hentai' clause.

The youngest Tendo daughter made her way home, thinking deeply about these copies.

Ifurita 1.5: A Little Reality Loss [Episode 86336]

by Kender

When she stepped into the house, Akane was well pleased with what she found, or rather, didn't find. Her major fear when coming home was that she would be bombarded by a series demands and insistant 'suggestions' thinly veiled as questions by her father and Ranma's as soon as she got in the door. They'd try to make her do what they wanted by simple attrition on her patience, and had already stepped on a lot of her nerves.

Luckily, the only greeting that she had gotten was a simple smile and 'hello' from the Akane unit that the dimwitted duo had gotten for the house, and to show off.

So, she assumed that the two had gone off for one of their 'planning sessions' at the local drinking establishments. That meant that she had at least a little while to relax and think over what she had seen, and come to some sort of conclusion. A simple workout in the dojo would help her work off the stress, followed by a soak in the furo to relieve the tension, and perhaps a little nap would make it so that she could think clearly.

She made it only as far as the door to the dining area.

"Akane!" her father called out as he popped out in front of her. "Did you do it?"

"Yes, did you do it?" Genma asked he appeared behind her.

"Do what?" she asked as she looked between the two men.

"Did you really sell your image data?"

"Uhh... yeah..."

"That's my girl!" Soun sobbed happily.

His friend nodded. "She's done what we needed her to like a proper child should."

"We only had to tell her once, and she did it!"

"And now we can work without that silly 'no hentai' restriction!"

"What ever gave you that idea?!" Akane barked as she glared at the fathers.

"You sold your image data, right? That means that you got rid of that stupid rule, and now whole new avenues will be opened up for us!"

"Just think of it," Soun cried in satisfaction, "They'll be able to do all sorts of more things, and will be able to be sold to so many new customers!"

"Mannequins for lingere, watresses in skimpy outfits, love dolls... the list goes on and on! Just thinking about how many that Kuno boy would by makes me smile!"

"Absolutely not!" she screamed, "I am not having any android that looks like me be owned by that creep! Or any other!"

"Come on Akane... Don't you want to make our poor lives easier?"

Her father sniffled in agreement. "We have suffered for so long, and now the chance for true happiness is in sight."

"We'll be able to live in the lap of luxury for the rest of our days."

"Finally, we can be free of worries and have everything at our fingertips.

A tear of happiness trailed down Genma's face. "After all we've done for you children, we'll finally have the chance to live comfortable retirements with all the sake we can drink."

"No more worrying about things."

"We can buy the Master all the garments he wants."

"We can leave the two of you to run the dojo without worrying about our retirements."

"So," the Tendo patriarch said, drawing his face into an expression of parental insistance, "You go back to those Cyberdyne people and tell them you want to remove that absurd 'no hentai' clause so that your father and his friend can have the freedom to sell androids without any more unneeded problems."

"After all, your sister went out to make a line of her own."

"And as your father, I am instructing you to do the best thing here."

"Besides, we know better than you since we have the wisdom of experience," the Saotome patriarch said.

"It is our jobs to decide what is best for our children."

"So do as your father says and go tell them that you want that clause removed and that we can make any copy of you that we want."

Through out the whole time that they had been talking, Akane had simply shown her annoyance through the twitching of her eyebrow.

"You IDIOTS!" she screeched and hit them before turning on her heel and stomping away.

The copy Akane watched her go before peering to where the two men were.

And then she shrugged before going back to her dusting.

"Guess they decided ta go have a... chat with Akane," Ranma drawled, "Maybe now's not the best time ta be havin' a sparrin' match?"

Ifurita just took a look through the second hole in the dojo at where the lower bodies of the two fathers were hanging from the property wall and nodded.

Akane paced around her room, and gumbled under her breath. First her fiancee had gotten android girls, one of which was her sister, then Kuno had gotten copies of himself, which had been followed by copies of herself running around being owned by just about everyone she knew. That was made even worse by her father and Genma's scheming, trying anything that they could to push her copies so that they would make them as much money as possible. Then if she wasn't being mistaken for one of the robots of her, people were coming up to her trying to get her to authorize the sale of android Akanes to them.

It was almost like everyone wanted the androids, and had forgotten about the real girl. Everything that she was about, all that she could do, was being taken over by those machines. Somehow, it just felt like she was being pushed aside for them, almost as if she was being... replaced. The only thing that anyone could talk about was 'Akane this', and 'Akane that', nevermind what she wanted. They just couldn't leave well enough alone, and treated her like a machine.

Instead, they acted like they wanted a mechanical Akane, who just did what she was told, no questions asked. She'd take orders, and smile through the whole thing, never wanting to disagree, and just going without any concerns. Which would just serve them right! If they had that sort of Akane, then they'd have to deal with the problems, not her. They wanted a robot, and if she was one, then they'd stop trying to make her do things, and let her alone. Then it would be fine, as it would be their stupid choices, not hers.

Maybe she should just give up and let them do what they want. It'd certainly be easier then, as all she'd have to do would be to allow them free reign. That would allow them to have what they wanted, and she wouldn't have to worry about this ever again. There would be no churning stomach, pounding heart, aching head, lack of sleep, or nervous twitching. She could finally RELAX!

Perhaps she could just give them a taste of it, and act like a machine, so they'd see what it was like.

Or she could let them replace her with a robot, one that would be Akane Tendo, and do what they said.

Then again, why not just go out and let them turn her into a robot? Then they'd be able to program her as they liked, and she'd never have a thought in her head that wasn't placed there by them.

Heck, why not just blank out her mind, and just leave the body? Then she'd just have to be told what to say, and they could do all the thinking for her.

In any of those ways, she would be a robot for them, programmed to serve, and do what she was told.

Actually... she could be, and it'd make it a whole lot easier on everybody around if she did so.

She should become a robot, and fix everybody's problems with one fell swoop!

Hell, she already was becoming one, what with having to deal with everyone, and those copies being owned by so many people.

In the end, she 'realised' was one, being given orders all the time, and just never following them.

Stopping in mid movement, she began to think as her mind cracked. Everyone was treating her and acting like she was a robot, so she was one right? But that would mean that she should be following orders. As she hadn't been, there had to be a reason why, and then it dawned on her. She didn't have an owner, and the instructions that an android should follow would come from her owner or someone designated by that person as an operator. Still, who could it be?

Definately not Kuno or someone at school. Soun Tendo might have been involved in her creation, but it didn't seem right. Kasumi was a possibility. Nabiki was an android herself, and was owned by Ranma.

That was it! She was an android owned by Ranma Saotome! Only she hadn't been following his orders, as he hadn't given her any. No wonder she hadn't been doing what she was told. But now that she realised the truth, she could go to him, and ask how she might serve him.

Having had a complete nervous breakdown, Akane Tendo, schoolgirl, martial artist, and self-considered 'android' 'owned' by Ranma Saotome, reached for her glommer

Ifurita 1.5: Ranma's droids [Episode 86443]

by Kestral

Akane activated the glommer.

Nanites immediately spread out from the watch attachment, normally they'd have just formed a microthin coating of material - a skintight neo-spandex garment that would cover everything in a flexible metallic sheath that was padded in the right areas to make it decent for the public. Glommers had been developed as an emergency spacesuit, with a helmet and air supply they could be used for hours. Not as good as a real spacesuit perhaps, but if you were in a spaceship or station and suddenly found yourself floating in space - a potential lifesaver. If the suit didn't detect a helmet or other air device, it could even form a helmet and the watch would send out a distress signal. The problem was that operational time with self-produced helmet was only about an hour. Something they were still working on extending.

The glommer detected air but also detected clothing, and so went for secondary function. Which was a replacement clothing device. Existing clothing was taken apart and absorbed. Padding and shaping was applied.

Akane's face was emotionless as the evidence of her old life was removed. A silver "catsuit" ending in high heels. The material of her old clothing was stored around her breasts and buttocks, forming layers that could be used for other outfits if the wearer desired a clothing change to something else.

She glanced at the mirror as the glommer's material slid over skin and hair to impress upon its memory the new owner's physical specs, the better to produce outfits upon request later. The bracer-like watch that it was linked to stored the information and came up with a selection of outfits that matched body styling.

The effect of Akane's viewing was different, to her battered mind it was reassurance. For a brief moment she was an image in shimmery metal tones as the glommer formed its database. Looking back at her in the mirror was a robotic Akane, all gleaming metal and made perfect. A distant voice in her subconscious said "let's see him call me flatchested now" but quickly went silent.

Yes, the image told her, you are right. You are an Akane robot. No Akane Tendo in the house.

Little muscles that she hadn't realized that she'd been clenching began to relax. No, she was just an Akane robot. Just like the one the Yamashiro family owned or that her friends owned or that Mrs Ichigo had wanted to buy. Yes.

The glommer produced a holographic keyboard and Akane tapped the command to return to that full body covering again. Interesting how groups of hairs had been captured together, becoming segments of faintly blue-tinted metal to contrast with the more grayish-silver of her skin and the golden-metal look of her eyes. She was quite attractive this way, wasn't she?

Another command and the bunched material lost the 'bikini' look to bunch in seams near her joints, leaving her anatomically correct in silver. She thought the effect quite interesting and used silvery hands to explore her new look.

She stopped shortly. It was for her owner to do that and she had to earn that before she could make a request that he physically interface with her and stimulate her pleasure centers directly. The silver metal Akane in the mirror nodded as this decision was made.

Akane stood there, the metal Akane in the mirror standing at attention, as her mind began the task of remaking itself.

"A glommer?" asked Kasumi.

Kumiko explained the origins of the device and held out a unit to show her. "Obviously not as useful on a planetary surface. Normally if someone's ejected into space, say a meteorite hitting their section of orbital colony while they're in bed, they could be ejected without warning. A glommer gives them a chance to survive long enough for a rescue. It's also used for preset costume changes and the like - so that a businesswoman could go swimming on her lunch break and have the glommer switch from business suit to swimsuit while it works.

"But why is it called a 'glommer'?" asked Kasumi.

"It's a foreign word," explained Isako. "When it was first utilized it was referred to as an Instant Emergency Spacesuit Device. The Community Of Worlds took that and started using another word, which means 'tailor' or 'clothier' in their language. As frequently happens, the original term was quickly forgotten and in order to continue marketing we had to adopt their term."

"How strange," said Kasumi.

"It is frequently observed in human dealings that repetition and a repeatable story can outweigh the actual truth," said Kumiko. "Sad, really."

"They'll outgrow it eventually," said Isako optimistically. "And here's the prototype."

The Kasumi walking into the room was slightly taller than the original, definitely had slightly more padding in a couple of places, had longer hair, and a tight nurse's uniform.

"Hello," said the Kasumi. "I am Kasumi KT-001-DO. I am programmed as registered nurse, masseuse, domestic, and gourmet Japanese cook. Glad to meet you."

Kasumi stared, feeling a pang of envy that she quickly suppressed.

"You said that we should only produce a test run," said Isako. "Would twenty be enough?"

Kasumi's eyes glazed at the thought of twenty of these. Her usual exclamation didn't seem quite sufficient. "Can she...?"

"KT-001-DO, demonstrate your other abilities please," instructed Isako.

Kasumi 001 smiled. "Normally I would do this only when necessary, and villainy needed to be addressed. Kasumi FLASH!"

Kasumi 001 leapt up in midair and glommer technology went to work. When she bounced back to the ground, she was wearing a heart-clasped choker, blue swimsuit, boots, gloves. "Magic Knight Kasumi! Warrior of love and justice!"

"A naginata?" asked Kumiko.

"Tendo school of naginata-ryuu," said Isako. "Her mother's school of martial arts as she requested. The weapon is stored in a subspace pocket and has some forcefield and energy projection capabilities. Using a vibro-blade function, it is capable of considerable damage to a number of supernatural menaces should any show up. It's just for the prototype."

Kumiko looked over the expression of longing and envy Kasumi was directing for her duplicate. "I wouldn't have thought that traditional girl exterior was hiding a sentai otaku. Ah well, more data for the base."

"Line up for inspection. ATTEN SHUN!"

Kodachi looked over her twenty twins and nodded approvingly.

Most had the Black Fox look, but one was done as Black Bunny and another was Black Cat. All looked identical to her new android form other than those details. Their clothing ranged from one on the end in a tasteful formal kimono with hair pinned up and looking ready for serving at the Emperor's table, to the Bunnygirl wearing the swimsuit with stockings and high heels normally found on that sort of costume.

"At ease," said Kodachi, "have any of you already been marked for placement?"

All had, it appeared. Some would be placed within Cyberdyne companies, others outsourced, still others had already found private buyers.

Kodachi decided it was good.

Ifurita 1.5: Recieving Surprises [Episode 86709]

by Kender

"Don't worry Saotome," Soun said as he looked to his bandaged friend. "If she was so emotional about this, she has to be close to having her resistance to our instructions break down!"

Genma nodded. "Then she will simply see that we have her intrests at heart, and she'll be so glad to do what we say, she'll run to remove that silly restriction."

"And she'll finally see that we know exactly what should be done in any situation."

"Besides, she'll be providing us with all that wealth. After what we've done for our children, she should be happy to be able to do something like that."

"Where would our children be without us Saotome?"

"I don't know Tendo, but they should be glad that we are there to tell them what to do."

From where he was leaning against the wall near the porch, Ranma saw the two banadaged men share a deep laugh, and rolled his eyes. When he'd pulled the two from the property wall, he had hoped that the two would have taken a break, and would have stayed unconscious. But they started up again with this junk as almost as soon as they woke up.

Maybe there was something about being around lots of money that made people nuts to the point of stupidity...

"Here you go," Nabiki told him, holding out a glass.

Taking it, he sipped the cool drink she'd brought him and tried not to notice how she was smiling as he drank. It wasn't an 'I've-got-you-now' expression, but 'I'm-really-happy' one, and almost... expectant. Just what she might want he shied away from, but he was glad that she had decided to bring him something to refresh himself. It was still really weird to own her, even if she was a robot now, but he could find some things that weren't bad at all.

Now all he needed was something to shut the fathers up...

Which came with heels clicking against the wooden floor as she walked up to him. "Ranma Saotome?"

"Uhh... yeah?" he replied lamely as he looked at the Akane before him. Dressed in a skintight silvercatsuit with high heels built in, none of her body was left to the imagination, and with curves that were at least a bit bigger than his fiancee's, that was not a bad thing in the eyes of most boys. But for him, it was just something to get confused about, and wonder what was going on.

"Akane Tendo wishes for you to know that she has left this property so that she can get away from the annoyances of her father and yours."

"She ran away ta get away from our dads?!"

"Yes."

"And she sent ya to tell me this?"

"No."

He scratched his head in confusion. "Then why are ya here?"

"She brought me as a gift for you. As such, you are my owner."

"HUH?!" he went as he boggled at what she had just said.

"You own me, and it is my purpose to carry out your wishes in anyway I can. How may I serve you?"

The pigtailed boy just stared and chuckled nervously.

Scotty loved animals of all sizes, and was someone who wouldn't have been out of place with a dog or two. Maybe a cat to sit near his toolkit to talk to as he worked on a plasma injector. A pet wouldn't have been the same as his engines, but he liked the idea anyway. After all, he'd cuddled the tribbles just like everyone else.

But he was beginning to get annoyed with his friend's latest pet.

"Okay laddie, just how did you get in here?" he asked as he looked at the pig who was staring back at him, "This is no place for a wee one like you."

Ryouga saw the man's strained smile and wondered how to tell the man that he sure as hell wished he wasn't there either.

"Now come on, Scotty'll have you back in your lady's arms in a few moments. Even if I still have to wonder how you wound up in the converter assembly. Gald we caught you before you got fried."

Needless to say, the pig was pleased by that fact as well.

Ifurita looked at her owner and shared his confusion. Not because he was facing yet another android, this one not only looking like his pervert bashing fiancee, but brought by her as well. Rather, her intrest was in the fact that this wasn't a robot, but was the real person.

Her ability to copy powers allowed her to sense something about the people she got into contact with. She didn't know the details of it, but she did know that robots definately felt different than humans, and this girl was definately a human. In fact, she could tell that this girl was certainly the girl who she had said had 'run away'.

That begged the question of what was going on there. This was the girl who had some problems with marionettes, and now she was acting like she was one. It just didn't make sense, and was something that bore thinking about. As it was, she was going to have a bit of a problem trying to figure out what to do otherwise.

Well, even if it was giving her bizarre experiences, it was much better than blowing up cities, she'd give it that.

In the meantime, she watched as Ranma patted the catsuit wearing girl on the shoulder... and ducked, almost as if expecting to get bashed. When he didn't, he looked up with his hand on her and sighed.

"I guess I've got another android..," he said.

Akane nodded. "That's right."

"Never knew little sister had it in her," Nabiki murmured with a smirk.

"What's this going to do to all our wonderful plans..?" Genma asked no on in particular.

Soun didn't answer, as he was still lost on the 'Akane ran away to get away from her father' part.

And the other Akane looked at her 'compatriot' and shrugged.

But Ifurita looked and wondered how this came about

Ifurita 1.5: Piiiiigggs Iiiiin Spaaaaace! [Episode 86790]

by Kestral

"Bwee," complained P-chan. Here he was, in deep space, on a starship, being fussed over by women. Sometimes alien women. Sometimes just plain aliens. It was Ranma's fault. He knew it was. All a plot to keep him from getting Kasumi a better birthday present.

So now he was sitting in this Uhura's lap, while she and a few others talked about this planet they'd just begun orbitting. Boring.

"...beam down... planet of hot springs..."

"Bwee?" P-chan exclaimed, not having been able to find any hot water since his arrival. At least that he could reach.

"Yes, I hope the Captain finishes negotiating soon," said Uhura. "I wonder how he's going to convince the Senator to let us use the facilities. She seemed quite against allowing 'military personnel' to beam down in any numbers."

"Buqiii," said P-chan, rolling his eyes. Did no one in the actual crew understand how he had gotten the nickname of James 'Tomcat' Kirk?

"I hear he's got a knack for this sort of thing," said Yeoman Kelly.

P-chan made a little groaning noise.

"I'm not entirely sure," said Uhura. "I've been with the Captain for almost two years now and he seems to know someone or make friends in every port we come to."

P-chan made a gagging noise.

"Say, maybe your pet would like a hot bath too, I remember something about pigs rolling around in hot mud or something," suggested Yeoman Kelly.

P-chan nodded his head very rapidly.

"I don't know, what do you think Bocki?" Uhura asked P-chan. "Maybe Miniature Space Piglets are fond of hot water? He keeps trying to knock over coffee or tea in my quarters."

Not having any clue as to how much worse his situation could get, P-chan bweeed and tried to give his best pleading look.

Ranma tried to figure out what to do with his latest android. "Okay. Uhm."

The problem was that he was used to doing everything himself. Knowing how to delegate was not something he'd learned.

Being faced with the obedient Akane android,

Ifurita 1.5: Questionable Intentions [Episode 87460]

by Kender

Ranma had a problem. Actually... he had lots of problems, but this one was his most immediate one. Standing before him was an Akane android that Akane herself had brought for him, after he'd already told Nabiki about how he was certain that she'd kill him if he tried to reset one. But now she had given him one which happened to be dressed in something that was both totally covering and damned revealing.

Sighing, he turned to look out at the yard so that he could think.

Only his arm hit something round and firm, and that bounced against his elbow.

"ERK! Sorry!" he blurted, holding out his hands placatingly at his newest android.

"For what?" she asked.

"Huh? Ya don't mind..?"

"Should I?"

With a nervous chuckle, he looked at her. "Ya mind if I ask ya a question?"

"Of course not. You can ask all the questions you want."

"Uhh... Good. So can tell me just why Akane gave me an android? I mean, I thought she'd be totally against it."

"She was not. She wanted to get an android and decided that you would be the best person to give me to."

That made the pigtailed boy blink. "Me? Why?"

"You have three other androids, and have cared for them greatly. She could not own me herself, so she thought that you would be the best owner for me."

"And I'm your owner, completely?"

"You are my only owner. I am programed to find happiness in doing what you tell me, no matter what it is."

"You can do anything?" Genma asked excitedly.

"I must do whatever my Master says," she replied.

"Great! Now you can tell them to extend that to all the others!"

"I can not do that."

"Why not?!"

"Firstly because you are not my owner," the 'copy' Akane told him.

"Then Ranma can tell you to do it! Or even better, just tell them!"

"Pops," Ranma drawled.

"What?"

"Ya drive Akane away and then ya start in on me!" A swift kick from his son and the elder Saotome was out cold. "Stupid panda..."

Nabiki smirked at the sight of the portly fighter and turned to her owner. "You're not going to go after my little sister?"

"Hey, yeah... Where is she?"

"Away," his new android replied, "She had no set destination, and will likely return when she can."

"Great... So what do I do now? And what can ya do?"

"I am a general Akane model, with skills in the Tendo style of Anything Goes."

"So you're just like the real Akane. Okay..."

"I can get adjustments at Cyberdyne if you wish," Akane told him.

Staring at her for a moment, Ranma thought over his options

Ifurita 1.5: Akane tweaks [Episode 87586]

by Kestral

Akane waited for her Master to suggest something. She was... happy. She was owned and she belonged. She didn't have to make any decisions and nobody would be pestering her.

She was at peace with herself in a way that she hadn't been in a long time. Though admittedly she wasn't aware of that. Her mind had settled into a blank "rest state" as it continued to adjust itself to the new perception that she was an android.

"What kinda 'adjustments'?" Ranma asked.

Nabiki spoke up. As she had internal scanners of various sorts, she could tell that if this was an android Akane, it was damn faithful to the original. So far though she only had a niggling suspicion that there was something odd about this unit. "Physical adjustments are easy. If you had her responsiveness turned up, she'd be able to feel more pleasure - for example."

Ranma thought about that. If anyone, even an android, was happier in their existence and it wasn't skin off him - why not? "Okay. That sounds good."

"You can add skills," said Nabiki, "you could make her a concert pianist or a violin virtuoso. You could make her an expert at carpentry or bricklaying. You could improve her figure a little."

"Huh?" Ranma scrunched his face up before he asked his new android a question. "Do ya want any of that?"

"I want whatever you want me to want," said Akane, a little confusion showing on her face.

"You could make her an expert in some other form of martial arts, or do a lot of other things, like Kodachi's 'Usagi-chan de cue' enhancements," pointed out Nabiki.

Ifurita's eyes widened. Had that been it? Akane was playing the part of one of her androids to see what it was like from the other side and make her mind up based on that? Or had she taken the battle between them so badly that she was acting this out as a charade in order to have more fighting skills downloaded for a rematch?

"As many times as the place gets trashed or someone comes through a wall instead of a door, some fixit skills would be handy," admitted Ranma.

Nabiki blinked, keeping tally of the changes to be made to this Akane unit.

Akane stood there, listening but otherwise still in a rest state.

Ranma came up with an idea finally. "Hey! You two know better'n me what can be done, and Nabiki - you know Akane better'n me. So why not take this Akane down and have 'em make adjustments. Just so it isn't something that Akane will give me grief over when she gets back."

Nabiki shrugged. "Sounds good. Kodachi and Kasumi are probably still there. We can get their input too."

Ifurita 1.5: Upgrading In Confusion [Episode 88109]

by Kender

Kumiko looked up from her conversation with Kasumi as the new arrivals entered the store. At first she had thought to tell them that she would be with them momentarily, but as she saw who it was, that was forgotten. Which gave her a problem as she found that she both wanted to finish up with the eldest Tendo girl, and see about the trio that had just come in.

Luckily Kasumi made the decision for her. "Nabiki! Ifurita! I didn't know that you were coming here!"

"Hi sis," Nabiki replied with a little wave. "We didn't know it either, but it just turned out that way."

"Oh really? Why is that?"

"We're here to get Akane here some upgrades."

"You are?" Kumiko asked with a bit of surprise coloring her voice, as the store scanners had discovered that this was the real girl.

"Yeah, we are. She's all ready to get them, and came here without a problem."

"She did?"

"Yup," joked the middle Tendo daughter, "She must really want some power ups. Heh."

It took a moment of staring at the silver clad girl for the salesgirl to come up with some explination for what was going on, and the transformed girl had come up with it. Akane must have decided that since her sister had gotten a new body, and the other Akanes were already more powerful, she needed something to be able to compete. After all, she had seemed to feel inadequate compared to them, and confused, so perhaps a wish to have something special would have arisen.

Having come to that logical, if incorrect conclusion, the marionette salesperson asked Akane, "What would you like?"

"What will I get?" Akane asked, turning to look at Nabiki.

Her sister smirked. "Let's see shall we... Ranma did say that getting some building skills would be good. But how's about we add in some physical enhacements too, huh? Maybe getting you some more in the breast department. And while we're at it, enhance her other curves while we're at it."

"Nabiki!" gasped Kasumi.

"What?"

"How can you..."

"Relax. She doesn't mind," the younger Tendo replied as she turned to the youngest, "Do you?"

"I don't," Akane answered.

"See? We can do what we want? And why not be a little bit naughty? It'll get Akane's goat later, or maybe relax the two of them.

"Oh..," the elder girl said. "If it's okay..."

"She said that it is."

"Then why not give some techniques, or something? Give her a library of that sort of thing, and the ability to use it."

"Go Kasumi!" the transformed Tendo drawled, "I didn't know you could have it in you..."

Kasumi blushed heavily. "I know it's not me, but I suppose that I can be a bit naughty once in a while."

"Be naughty! Be naughty!"

"Ohh..."

"How's about a roleplaying pack. Or a sexual responsively to him? Maybe a bit of submission just to be fun. Or..."

"Or you can stay ahead before he runs off with the thousand and one things you'll put into her," Ifurita commented, still wondering why Akane would want to go this far in seeing how it felt to be an android.

Her words brought an expression of chagrin to the marionette Tendo's face. "I get the picture, though him being such a prude can be so disappointing. But Akane here doesn't have to be, though you're right. We should get her some other skills."

"Well, you can do technical, and Kodachi is medical..."

"Okay then, what if we make Akane the physical? Not like your power level, but in addition to the fun stuff, we give give her all the construction skills. And maybe some houseskills, like Kasumi's been teaching you."

"That would be so nice," the named girl declared.

"Is there anything that you would want?" Kumiko asked the still figure in silver.

Akane considered what was going on. As it was things were going wonderfully, and she felt more relaxed than she had in years. Ranma had proven to be a good choice as owner, and she had found that following his orders was easy. She had managed to walk all the way there in an outfit that her bouncing and striding in front of everybody, and she hadn't minded. Still, she knew that there were advances that she could make to herself that would be make her even better.

"Other than serving Ranma," she said simply, "I don't need much. Perhaps an enhancement of my body so that I can survive perfectly well on less sustenance? And as a fighter, he will need me to be able to fight when necessary. So maybe an increase in strength, a resistance to injury and fighting skills?"

That was understandable in the salesgirl's estimation. "Okay then. If no one has any other suggestions..."

"Maybe an improvement of the brain so that she doesn't have to study things, and can recall information as necessary?" Ifurita suggested.

"That can be done," Kumiko replied, and turned to Akane, "If you'll come with me?"

The Demon-God watched as the silver clad figure was led away, and sighed. She hoped that giving the girl that sort of ability would be helpful, and would smooth any ruffled feathers that the girl might still have. After all, once the teen was finished trying to see what it was like being an android, it would be good not to have to have her challenge her again.

Still, it was a game of wait and see

Ifurita 1.5: Mechanism of change [Episode 88187]

by Kestral

The changes made to Akane had been tallied. Some decisions had been made by Akane herself. Others by Nabiki or Kasumi. Ranma had only agreed that something had sounded good but had avoided making any decisions himself.

The one that he'd OK'd he hadn't understood.

Pleasure sensitivity/responsiveness: x4

Other than that, all he'd said was that some fixit skills would be handy.

Nabiki made a few suggestions. Followed by Kasumi's rather surprising addition.

Increase breast size +3

Add Submissiveness to Owner: Level 3

Add Sexual Techniques 1

Add Seduction Techniques - Basic

Add Sexual Techniques 2

Add Basic Carpentry

Add Basic Bricklaying

Add Basic Plumbing

Add Basic Electrician

Add Basic Gardening

Add Basic Housekeeping

Add Beginning Food Preparation

Add Specialty - German Cooking (Basic)

Add Specialty - Brewing (Beers & Ales)

Add Specialty - Korean Cooking (Basic)

Add Specialty - Thai Cooking (Basic)

Add Specialty - Mexican Cooking (Basic)

Add Specialty - Macrobiotic Cooking (Intermediate)

All of this could have been accomplished simply enough. There was enough understanding of the human body that enhancing her figure or minor cosmetic surgery would have been a snap. Adding information to a human brain was a little trickier, but there wasn't that much difference between bioroid and human designs to make much of a difference.

It was Akane's alterations that gave them pause.

She wanted to survive on less sustenance, an increase in strength and in fighting skills. The latter two could have been accomplished with a training regimen in a high gravity environment, but that would take considerable time and not address that first desire.

Then had come Ifurita's suggestion to rewire the brain to give Akane an eidetic memory and ability to memorize things quickly.

There really weren't that many ways for Akane to do this and remain Akane with a chance of returning to the old Akane, because Cyberdyne did verify three times to be sure that this was indeed Akane Tendo and that she wasn't under some external mind control that they could detect. And they could detect quite a lot.

Finally it was decided to cryogen the original body, downloading mind and transferring soul to an Otome Kairo II or to a replacement body. The final choice made was:

Ifurita 1.5: Akane, Mark II [Episode 88745]

by Kender

As she came back to consciousness, Akane felt like she had been sleeping a long was that lethargy, and slow awareness growing for a few moments, at least in her reckoning. But once she reached a point when thought could be completed, total wakefulness came back to her and her eyes fluttered open.

She got up and realised that even though she still could move without thinking about it, something about her was different.

"How are you feeling?" a voice asked, and she looked to see Kumiko standing there looking thoughtful.

It took a moment of thought for her to answer. "I am fine."

"That's good, because even though we have it down to a science, we worry about the possibility of our customers becoming disatisfied or even worse."

"I can't find anything wrong."

"I'm glad. If you would like to see your new body..," the salesgirl told her.

"'New body'?"

"We did not wish to do anything we couldn't undo, so we've put your consciousness into a bioroid body, which is made of artificial tissues, but is so close to a human's that no one would ever suspect unless they had equipment that could detect it."

Akane nodded at the words, and looked to the marionette. "You were saying about 'seeing'?"

"Right this way," Kumiko replied, and guided her to a rather simple viewing device... a mirror.

Standing before the pane of glass, Akane looked over her nude body, and took in all the differences that it had with the 'real Akane Tendo'. Without the obscuring factor of clothing, she could see how her expanded chest bounced as she moved. Every bit of the body, from shapely legs and taut buttocks to slim arms and supple back, was fit and toned, with tight muscle and curves managing to blend into an attractive form that had an easy grace. The naked skin was blemish free and glowing, with not a single hair on her head out of place. A bit of bending and flexing gave her the chance to see that she was quite limber, and that her cleaveage was firm enough not to need a bra.

Only two things would tell one that she wasn't human, and that was a small serial number 'tattoed' onto the small of her back, and the odd look of her navel, which she automatically knew was a communications port. They said that not only was she made, but that she was a machine that could connect to other such devices. She was as she saw, a creation, and perfectly at home as she was.

And then she stopped to go through the changes in her mind. A single thought was all that was needed to come up with a recipe so that she would have it always there to follow exactly. She could easily repair a wall, from framing to utilities. Just thinking about Ranma Saotome made her warm, and she could think of ways of maximizing his pleasures...

All of which confirmed in her mind what she'd already 'known'. She was an android, owned by Ranma Saotome to serve him in any way that she could, and this bare form put on the outside what had been inside. There would be no need for anger, frustration or suffering, since she had a simple path, and she could find happiness in serving him. He would own her, give her orders, and treat her as well as he had treated his other androids, giving her the chance to be worry free and relaxed, no matter what he would need of her.

Standing there at attention, she found herself seeing a future of blissful service to a kind and generous master.

The marionette salesgirl didn't know this however, and she smiled as the girl took it in stride. It seemed that she was pleased by her alterations, and would have a chance to enjoy some rather interesting... changes without having to have them be permanent. Even if she might want to keep them later, this kept an option open, and she could afford it without any concerns.

"Is there any other things we have to do?" the formerly human girl asked.

"Not unless you can think of anything else you would like," Kumiko told her.

Considering the possibilities for the moment, Akane looked thoughtful

Ifurita 1.5: Ryoga at the planet of hot springs [Episode 88842]

by Kestral

"You have to be mistaken, that couldn't be the real Akane," said Kasumi.

"Unless she's trying to pull on over on Daddy & Mister Saotome," said Nabiki. "They were riding her fairly hard on this. I never would have figured Akane to be subtle though. She tends to be a bit more direct."

"I don't understand it myself," confessed Ifurita. "The only conclusion I could come up with was that she was trying for an informed decision and wanted to see what it was like herself."

"Check out the fate of Akane units before letting them get marketed further?" Nabiki asked, finally nodding. "Okay, I can see her doing something along that line. She wouldn't be able to pull off the acting though. Just bumping up against her breast would cause her to pound Ranma into next week."

Kasumi came up with an idea. "Unless... no. That couldn't be it."

"What couldn't be it?" asked Nabiki.

"If she also was curious about how Ranma was with these," said Kasumi.

Nabiki grinned. "I knew she was kinky but clueless, now she wants to try something like this? Way to go, little sis."

"If it is something she wanted to explore, then we should go along with it," said Kasumi.

"In that case, maybe little sis..." Nabiki got an impish expression. "I think I'll order some outfits for our new Akane unit."

"Don't forget a few for the Kasumi unit," brought up Kasumi.

"Yeah, that too... Kasumi?" Nabiki asked as she caught up.

"Why not? It sounds fun," said Kasumi.

Nabiki shook her head. Kasumi getting kinky? What next?!

After shrugging at this, Kasumi and Nabiki began designing new outfits.

P-chan gathered himself. They had taken him down here and left him over to the side but now he'd charge around corner, splash into a hot spring, and then explain that he was not a miniature giant space pig!

P-chan charged forward, took a left, charged across the slick tiled floor. "BWEEEEEEEE!" Lost traction on the slick tiled floor. BOING! Ricocheted off a rubber curb. BWONG! bounced off some really fat guy's stomach right above the towel line. CHING CHING CHING CHING CHING CHING! Got bounced off two bumpers which almost dribbled him like a basketball between him. "BWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEE!" Became airborne again as he arced up over a divider. SPLOOSH! and went directly into a hot spring.

"WAAAAA!" said Ryoga as he stood up, sopping wet. "At last! Now I can... uh oh."

He was on the girl's side. Standing up. Naked.

"Set disruptors on 'fry'," said a Klingon who had been looking forward to spending some time doing something that didn't involve all the usual Klingonese politics.

"Eh heh heh, uhm..." began Ryoga wondering how he was getting out of this.

Akane fingered the plug on her communications port, her expression blank.

She should check with her owner, there might be duties she could be performing for him. For that matter, he should check out all of her functions so that he was familiar with them.

That decision made, Akane decided:

Read the comments on this episode

Ifurita 1.5: Dressing Up [Episode 89612]

by Kender

"Are you sure that this looks okay?" Kasumi asked as she posed in front of her sister.

Nabiki grinned slightly. "It's more than okay. It'll knock his socks off."

"You mean that?"

"Definitely. A guy'd have to be dead three days not to appreciate this."

"Oh Nabiki..."

The grin became a full grown smirk as the middle Tendo daughter took in her big sister's outfit. While it was basically tasteful and well made, it was certainly going to make any guy's blood pressure rise. A tight mid-thigh skirt showed off a long length of shapely stocking-covered leg, while a fitted blouse covered her bosom totally though it fit closely enough that she pretty much didn't need to wear anything under it. Heels graced her feet, while a small cap was in her hair.

Basically, any guy who looked at her would see a beautiful maid who they would love to have cleaning their place.

Of course, it was more risque than anything that Kasumi had ever really worn, so she was a bit... hesitant about it. "This won't be too much, will it?"

"Listen sis," Nabiki said with a sigh, "You look gorgeous. But are you sure that you want to go through with this? Do you really want to see what being Ranma's android is like?"

"Yes, I do. It's very nice, right?"

"Well, I think so, but then again, I'm a bit biased. I mean, I could have gone to some real loser or a complete and utter bastard, but I lucked out and got him. I like the way things are. But for you it's something you chose to do."

The older girl shrugged. "I haven't done something like this before, and... being able to have some fun without anyone knowing sounds like fun."

"You know Kasumi, just when I figure that I've got you pegged, you go and surprise me."

"I hope that's a good thing..."

"Trust me, it sure is."

"Oh, then I'm happy that you're happy. But shouldn't we get finished with Akane's outfits?"

"Definately. We've already sent up one, so we still have a couple to get before we leave."

"Won't Ran... Master be surprised?" Kasumi said happily.

Her sister gave a slow nod and chuckled. "I'm sure he will."

Kumiko looked over the now dressed Akane and nodded approvingly, mostly not because that the outfit looked good on her, which it did, but because the girl seemed to like it. At the very least, she hadn't gotten angry over it, and seemed perfectly comfortable wearing the clothing she had been given. The only problem that she could see was that the new android had put them on without even seeing what she had been given, though Cyberdyne would never have given her something that she hadn't already agreed to.

Basically, she was dressed similiarly to her sister, with some obvious differences. Thigh highs replaced the stockings, the skirt barely brushed her thighs, her blouse showed a rather nice view of her cleaveage, and her heels were higher.

Not that there seemed to be any problem with that, as Akane stood in front of the mirror and nodded to herself. "Will you need anything else?" the salesgirl asked.

"No. I must return to the Dojo," Akane replied, "I have things to do."

"Understandable. And don't worry about payment. This only took a small part of the funds from the sales of the Akane units. So this is already paid for."

"I understand."

"Well, Nabiki, Kasumi and Ifurita are waiting for you. Though I understand that they've been busy while we have been here."

"They have?"

"Yes. And it's going to be interesting to see what they've come up with."

Akane had to acknowledge that, though she wasn't as caught up in the possibilities. As it was, her 'owner' had told her to let her two fellow androids make the decisions, so she was fine with it. But now was time to go back to his home so that he could make use of her, perhaps with some ideas she could give him.

She just hoped that he would be pleased with her, and that she could serve him well. He'd already given her such an easy time, so she wanted even more to please him.

"The lobby is this way," Kumiko told her as she handed over a small parcel.

Without a word, Akane followed, ready to walk back to the Dojo in her new clothing and body

Ifurita 1.5: Going home [Episode 89633]

by Kestral

On the way home, Akane went over her physical capabilities. She thought of herself as just another android Akane, and she was currently in an synth body, so as far as she was concerned these were merely upgrades.

Physical strength was quite high of course. Her physical strength was such that she could easily lift weights that the "real" Akane would have balked at. Endurance and speed were likewise high. Hmmm. Kasumi had stayed behind to get a few more outfits made.

"Ifurita. Nabiki. There are faster modes of travel than walking. Why do we not avail ourselves of them?" Akane asked.

"Hmmm. I guess you can keep up," agreed Nabiki. "Shall we?"

Ifurita flew, it was her fastest mode and more dignified than running.

Akane leapt to the roofs and from there made her way along towards her Master with a grace that a gazelle might have envied. True flight was something she couldn't manage, but she did have the ability to negate the effect of gravity on much of her mass. She was, after all, stronger than some locomotives, faster than most cars, and able to leap a large number of buildings in a single bound.

The abilities had been added to combat grade models because Nerima had an awful lot of insanely powerful martial artists. In order for the higher end models, particularly those with bodyguard functions, to compete with chi-users - they had to have some means of performing similar feats. So in addition to tougher materials, they had to be able to draw on resources that could compete. Minor anti-grav generators would allow brief lifting of greater weight than normal or leaping large distances. An integrity field could increase tensile strength likewise. Nanite healing factors to repair damage at high speed. Internal storage batteries for an adrenal response replacement.

Akane realized that she was having fun - this leaping from rooftop to rooftop at high speeds. Her first few were clumsy before she settled on enough weight to keep from moonwalking but light enough not to damage the roofs she was landing on. Once you got past that though - this was quite enjoyable.

She landed a full 1.047 seconds ahead of Nabiki on the compound wall of the Tendo home. "I wonder where Master is?"

"Scanning," said Nabiki. "There. See his infrared signature there on the roof? He probably ducked down just prior to our arrival. He doesn't feel comfortable showing that he cares."

"I lack an infrared sensor. I have normal vision with some light intensification and polarization abilities to function in higher or lower light levels." Akane filed that fact about Ranma away and was about to leap to the roof and report in when she felt Nabiki touch her shoulder.

"Don't. He's one of those guys who needs his own space," said Nabiki. "Give it time. Come on in with me, we'll get you set up with Akane's room while she's off sulking."

Akane nodded.

Ryoga ran as if his life depended on it.

Which was fairly accurate.

Energy beams shot in all sorts of directions from behind him.

"If you're going to shoot the walls, use 'Heavy Stun'," suggested someone in the pack. "That way we won't get kicked off the planet."

"Good point," acknowledged the Klingon.

Ryoga turned a corner and saw a nice ornamental fountain in the middle of a four way intersection. Splash! SAFE!

"Where'd he go?" asked the Klingon.

"Let's split up, each group takes a direction," suggested Uhura.

"Good idea," said the Klingon woman. "I see humans aren't as blithering as I've been led to believe."

"You seem more reasonable than the average Klingon," acknowledged Yeoman Forest Kelly.

"I'm not strictly a warrior, I'm a 'commodities broker'," said the Klingon with a snaggle toothed grin.

"Ah," said the Enterprise girls, translating that to smuggler immediately.

Ryoga sighed in relief as the girls spread out looking for him. Safe. He'd never been so glad for the curse.

"Hmmmm, what have we got here?" asked a familiar voice.

"BWEE?!" said P-chan as he was picked up.

He had been found

Ifurita 1.5: Patience Problems [Episode 93374]

by Kender

Kirk groaned as he held the small animal and wondered how one simple creature could cause so much trouble. He hadn't thought much about it when he'd heard that Uhura had a new pet, once he had made sure that it wouldn't multiply all over the ship. But his calm about the situation was proven a bit too hasty, as the damned thing was always all over the ship. It managed to do what the Tribbles had all by itself, what with appearing in Scotty's machinery, Bones' sickbay and odd points all over the ship.

And now it was interrupting even more delicate negotiations! There was a senator waiting for him back in a private section of the springs for their personal talks, and he had been deep getting where he was almost deep within their rapport when the sound of an angry mob was around. He'd been forced to pause his consulation with the senator, and head out to see what was going on, only to find that damned pig there!

"I don't know how, and I don't care, but I'm going to have to put you someplace, even you can't get out of," the captain told the piglet, "Much as I count Uhura as a trusted friend and a crew member, I can't let her pet get in the way of this much of our missions. I'll just have to put you where no one will see you, until we leave this planet."

For once, P-chan was in full agreement with him, as he didn't want to get those women after him again. It wasn't like he had done anything to get them mad on purpose anyway. He wasn't Ranma after all.

Ranma wasn't worried at all. He didn't care how long they took to get the upgrades for his new Akane android, and he wasn't worried about what the original would say when she got back. Not that he was concerned about what she would think about what he did with his robot. It wasn't like he was keeping an eye out to see when they were coming, and he wasn't keeping an ear out to hear them coming in. There was not a bit of him that was curious about how it went.

He just had to stop trying to convince himself about that fact.

'I'll just let 'em come to me..,' he idly thought as he lounged in front of the television, 'They'll come sooner or later... yeah... that's the ticket...'

Satisfied with that, he sat back, and tried to watch what was happening on the screen. He tried to make himself stay attentive and ignore the fact that he had some android girls going up the stairs to do who knew what. They would take care of things anyway, and he still felt uncomfortable sticking his nose into their stuff. Sure he owned them technically, but it wasn't like he was concerned about them or anything... Well, maybe a little...

Realising that he had been staring at the screen for ten minutes and had no idea of what had happened, he gave a frustrated sigh, and flicked it off. 'I need ta relax somehow... Maybe I should do my homework or somethin'... Hold on... 'Do my homework'? How desperate am I?'

Ifurita 1.5: Akanelog open [Episode 93424]

by Kestral

Her new bioroid body had a number of functions and capabilities.

Having decided that she was Ranma's android and that the "real" Akane had run away from home to avoid the two fathers - she went on to optimize her abilities in this role.

Going through the Cyberdyne Online Catalog, she noted a number of potential upgrades that would be quite suitable. By being able to draw on the bank account of "the original Akane" - she could afford quite a lot.

There were a lot of Akane out there after all. The Akane Factor was still in play.

Akane pulled out a keyboard with holo-display, plugged it into her belly button, and began a defrag of memory with viruscan and anti-spyware search. Just in case copying information from "the original" had produced any lost files or broken chains.

Though the sale of new Akane units was postponed, the existing orders still had to be filled. The general purpose AT units were also being upgraded, since those were also existing contracts. Tokyo PD had two units, SWAT Akane and Officer Akane. There were Akane for the fire department, one was a greeter at a major electronics store, and a Mermaid Akane was working at the community pool as a lifeguard for children.

Satisfied, Akane turned her full attention to system maintenance

Ifurita 1.5: Isolating Self [Episode 105001]

by Kender

The maintenance programs had been created to keep both AI programs and transferred minds from being corrupted due to any number of possible dangers. After all, both the creation process and daily dangers both provided situations where problems might come in. Just the problems of normal processing was enough, and when one put in the possibilities of everything from electromagnetic fields, to viruses to active hacking, such measures were the least of what was needed.

So it was only natural that an android would bring in such programs to prevent any errors in her functioning.

And the program did its job well, making even formerly hazy memories clearer. It cleaned up the memory, made it easier to run, and made sure that no nasty viruses or individuals with ill intents had gotten it. Fortunately as it ran, it found that there had been little leakage, and it had more work with restoring the 'original's' memories than it did with any problems.

However, as it worked, it discovered what seemed to be an error with the personal identifiers for the unit. Its searching determined that this was supposedly a transferred individual, but the unit was identifying herself as an android. Obviously this was a problem to its logic, so it decided to fix this.

But there were problems with that.

It wanted to either restore the true identity, or to delete the false 'transfer' markers, depending on what was best in the case.

The protection programs, which Cyberdyne had put in to prevent anyone from altering, or destroying a unit's mind, especially a transferred one, wouldn't allow an erasure of such a vital part.

However, in her current state, the mind in charge could not accept that she was a transferred individual, especially as her current 'belief' was creating a mental 'refuge' of sorts.

Faced with what could be a major logic problem, which had the possibility of becoming a major mess, the maintenance programs did the only thing they could do.

They isolated the part of Akane's mind that was still identifying her as Akane Tendo, and put it someplace so remote that it was effectively separate. That didn't mean that it was gone, but it would keep it from causing too much damage. And it did not mean that it could not come back, as it most likely would once the situation was altered, such as if she returned to the self identification of 'Akane Tendo'.

Not that Akane particularly noticed this. It had taken less then a blink to do this, and she considered the matter settled. That nagging sensation that she was the 'original' was gone as far as she could tell, and she felt free to approach her owner and present herself for service.

It did allow for a difference in the 'processing' though. Now she could do what she whatever was possible without that odd little reluctance to act as she thought she should. Instead of that little part urging her to hold back as Akane Tendo could never do certain things, being completely at peace with being an android owned by a certain young man. There would be nothing stopping her from acting completely and clearly as his android. And all the repression that part of her had done was quieted now.

But the fix up wasn't done, and it did take a bit to go through all the data in her mind to do other repairs.

Once it was done though, she unplugged her add-ons, fixed her clothing, and went to seek out her owner.

However, she didn't realize in her current state that the part of her that knew that she was the original Akane was only resting for a later date.

Kirk gave his communications officer a hard look as he stood there with his arms across his chest. "I don't care Lieutenant. That creature goes back up to the ship immediately."

"I know sir," Uhura replied as she held her pet, "But I was sort of hoping that I could let him walk around..."

Though he would have agreed with this sentiment, P-chan was too busy twitching because the woman holding him had him against her chest while she wore a swimsuit.

"He's already walked too long," the captain said evenly. "I can understand why you would want to have a pet, but I'm not about to allow it to wander around a planet that we're only starting to begin relations with."

"Understood sir..."

"And find something to hold it. He is only one little pig, but he's gotten into just about every place the tribbles did."

That brought a wince from her. "I will sir."

"Good. Make sure that you do, or I'll have it dropped off with the authorities on the next Federation planet we land on." "Understood sir."

"Then that will be all Lieutenant."

Nodding smartly, Uhura walked off with her pet.

Leaving Kirk to wonder how that pig had managed to annoy him again. He had thought that the cage with its solid walls and no exit would have kept it in, but somehow he'd gotten around just in time for his communications officer to find it. And it hadn't been that long since he'd left it, congratulating himself on his plan.

Just how a small animal could manage to get past walls made of duranium he didn't know, and didn't want to.

Sitting down reading a manga was something Ranma figured would be safe enough. After all, it wasn't like it was a perverted one like Hiroshi and Daisuke were always trying to get him to look at. Then there was the fact that it wasn't like he was doing anything bad, or that could be interpreted so. And he was keeping himself occupied and out of trouble.

But then trouble had a habit of finding him, as it did in the form of the noise of foot falls coming on the floor before him.

Sitting on the floor of the dojo as he was, he had to look up... and immediately freaked out. His position and the one of the person in front of him was so that if he looked up, he not only got to see who it was, but he also got a clear view of her style of panty. Previous experience with females had proven that when a male got an unapproved look of such things, it usually meant a bashing was in the near future.

In this case, Akane merely stood there and looked at him, standing so she was right where he could see her..

"What are ya doin'?!" he yelled out as he realized what sort of situation this would be.

"I have come to inform you of my return and see if you need anything.," she replied.

"Ya did?"

"Yes. You are my owner, and I have to follow your orders."

"All of 'em?"

For a moment, she considered telling him just how far that would go, but she remembered Nabiki's words and held back. "Yes. If you have any task for me, I will do it."

Slowly, he began to relax as he realized that he was not facing his fiancee, as far as he knew, and that there was no hint of imminent physical violence. That still left him a little freaked though, and he hoped that the fact that she wasn't embarrassed by him seeing her in that way would mean that she wasn't as... sensitive in that regard as her 'originator' had been. "So... ya ain't gonna bash me?"

"No. Why would I?"

"'Cause I saw ya... ya know.., I mean, I had to look at your..."

"So? I am your android, and it is fine for you to look."

'Okay that's just freaky. Gotta get away from that,' he thought to himself. "What 'bout Kuno or Happosai. What if they see ya? Are ya gonna bash them then?"

"Without hesitation, but with an intense need to cause them pain," she told him without hesitation.

"Well, at least that's the same..."

She blinked at him. "What?"

"Nothin'. So... What d'ya wanna do?"

"I don't have anything to do at the moment other than to ask you if you need me to do anything."

"Ya don't got anythin' ya wanna do?" he asked helpfully.

"Pretty much. With my systems upgraded, I have more to offer, but I don't have a set plan."

Ranma just looked up at his newest android standing there in her maid uniform

Ifurita 1.5: system request [Episode 105014]

by Kestral

Ranma looked over Akane and noted the differences now that he could clearly see with her in her maid uniform. She was a little more buxom, the waist looked tighter, the hips a little wider. There was no sign of that little scar near her elbow and her expression was of some faintly pleased sort - not upset that he'd been staring at her.

"Uhm, so... what can ya do, anyway?" asked Ranma.

"I am capable of anything that the original Akane Tendo could do," Akane informed her owner. "I am also familiar with a number of construction techniques and several food preparation styles."

Ranma scratched his head. "I can't think of anything. What do you want to do?"

Akane blinked at that. "I would request pleasuring you in a direct manner."

"Hah?" asked Ranma.

Ifurita 1.5: Loving Panic [Episode 106418]

by Kender

Scratching his head, Ranma tried to figure out just what Akane meant. Despite having several female androids, and having lived for some time with a trio of sisters, he still didn't really understand girls. Not that he ever expected to, since no one was putting out a helpful manual with each one. But he couldn't help wondering just what this 'copy' of his fiancee wanted.

As he considered what she was saying, he tried to figure out what sort of thing 'direct pleasure' would be in this case. With Shampoo or Kodachi, he knew that grasping hugs were to be expected, and that their way of trying to make him feel good was to try to give him stuff. However, Akane preferred to make him stuff, and this was an android based on her. Which meant that all the jumping on him stuff would not be anywhere close to possible, or so he figured. Yet, that was the closest thing that he could come up with. There had been the way that Nabiki had treated him that time he'd woken up...

"So... ya wanna cook or give me a massage or somethin'?" he asked.

Akane gave a small nod. "Whatever I can do for you would be good enough. You just have to ask."

"Well... I ain't hungry, but sittin' here's got me kinda stiff, and I do have all sorts of aches from trainin'... Guess a massage would be good."

"I would enjoy that too. How much would you like?"

"As far as ya wanna go, I guess..."

Smiling slightly, Akane moved with a quiet grace and knelt behind him as she put her hands on his back and began to knead. She moved slowly up from his bottom up, moving in simple, yet pleasurable strokes that released the tension from his muscles. Her work made him sigh with pleasure as strong fingers worked the kinks out, coming to where his shoulders met his neck.

He was enjoying it so much that he closed his eyes and smiled.

But then his brow furrowed as he wondered if he really was feeling her breasts bounce against his back.

Nabiki wondered just why she had to go to school as she came down the stairs. After all, it was rather pointless if one thought about it. Math was easy when one had processors that could do the work, and her science was beyond what was in the classroom. The rest could be handled by simply handled by subject downloads, save physical education, which had its own problems for an android. About the only time she would have to work would be when they had discussions or other thought exercises.

Of course, it wasn't like she was going to have a job in the traditional sense as far as she could tell. She could though, and probably would, since she would need to do something.

Which was oddly enough why she was glad for school. It gave her something to keep occupied, and so long as she didn't try any high tech shortcuts, it was kept from being totally busy work. And it was good to get out amongst those she knew.

It still meant that she didn't need much time to do her homework.

Which was why she was out and about. She needed something to do, and going around to find an activity seemed to be a good idea. There was a chance to find Ranma and maybe spend some time with him. Plus she knew that she had to check up on her little sister. If both were okay, then there were some other things to do.

Except that most of them went out of her mind when she spotted Akane and Ranma. As she peered into a doorway, she saw him sitting with the younger Tendo girl working on his shoulders. It was innocent enough on the surface, but when one looked, they could see Akane breathing on his neck, and lightly pressing her bosom into his spine. And to top it off, she had her knees on either side of his hips.

'Go sis'..,' Nabiki thought to herself, even as she felt a twinge of jealousy. The girl had managed to get further than she had after all. But this was more than she would have expected of her younger sister before, and it was a welcome sight. She had been way too wound up even before all this happened, and to see her making a move was something nice to see. Perhaps pretending to be an android had been what she needed...

And then the middle Tendo daughter got an idea from her train of thoughts. All the other Akane units had a definate 'anti-pervert' policy attached to them. But Akane herself was apparently quite willing to make an advance on the pigtailed boy, and didn't mind him in any way. However, he didn't know that she was the real thing, and likely thought that he was getting a massage from a copy.

That brought up an interesting possibility. As far as he knew, Akane had given him an 'android' for his personal use, but as things were progressing, he would find out that this one was not only willing to allow things that might seem 'perverted', but was actively propositioning such. Because of that, Ranma had been the only one given such an 'android Akane'.

All Nabiki'd have to do would be to 'explain' that to him. Since Akane had been the one to 'give' him an 'robot version of herself', she had been the one who'd set what the rules would be. And because she had given him an android that was willing to bed him, she had to think it was okay.

From there, she thought that she might be able to get him to think that if Akane didn't mind him coupling with an android in that case, then perhaps she'd wouldn't be adverse to him with others.

Then she could really work with it.

Akane moved around to Ranma's front, satisfied with how things were progressing. She had managed to get her owner very happy, and that made her pleased in response. When he had said that he would allow her to go as far as she wanted, she'd been jolted for a bit, but then she interpreted that as his permission for going into the full work over. She activated a seduction routine, and other than a few confused expressions, she'd thought that she'd managed quite well.

This was something that she'd really wanted, and just being able to do what she had already managed was wonderful. There was no frustration, or aggravation with her situation, and she knew that she could get more of a chance to enjoy what she was doing. Not only did she have no problem with what she was planning, she actually desired to follow it all the way through.

The image of what she thought would happen came up as she worked on his legs going up from foot to calf to thigh. She worked diligently to make him feel as good as she could manage. This was a simple thing, and not all that she could come up with, but it was a good first step.

Ranma sighed in happiness as he got a massage that had to be the best that he could have hoped for. He'd been given one or two over time, but the simple stuff he'd gotten when hurting a muscle or something like that was nothing compared to the full body work up that he was getting at the moment. It was nice to get something nice like this without having to worry too much about getting bashed, but so far, it'd been pretty good. Other than the odd sensations of feeling her against him, things had worked out so that he wasn't too concerned. So far, he'd been able to explain away all the things that had been happening without too much work.

But that changed as she made him lay flat on his back. It wasn't due to the fact that she had done that, as it was expected.

Rather, he started to sweat when she sat across his lap with her calves straddling his thighs. Added to the way that she was showing the valley between her breasts as she bent over his chest, he knew that the time for concern was definitely there.

When she gave him a look of desire as she parted her soft lips, he returned her look with wild eyed panic as he tried to become one with the floor

Ifurita 1.5: Interruptions [Episode 106496]

by Kestral

Akane was making her move. Ranma was panicked now, but she calculated a 77% chance that once she began his resistance would crumble to nothing.

Add to this the presence of the watching Nabiki and Kodachi, who were behind the two exits to the room and most likely (66.4%) waiting for her to finish so that they could join in on round two.

Everything was going as planned.

CRASH!

Akane blinked. Ranma blinked. Nabiki slapped her face in sheer frustration. Kodachi nodded as she'd calculated a 33% chance of this happening.

Plans rarely survive the battle. Especially in Nerima. With guards at the door and window, naturally someone had come through

Ifurita 1.5: Run Around [Episode 123014]

by Kender

Plans rarely survive the battle. Especially in Nerima. With guards at the door and window, naturally someone had come through the floor.

"HOW DARE YOU CHEAT ON AKANE WITH A CHEAP COPY!" Soun bellowed as he stuck his head and shoulders up through the whole he'd just made.

It was easy for Ranma to take note of the elder man's entrance, as even at that moment he hadn't been out of it enough not to note the explosion of floorboards. That the man had managed to do so while still bandaged was amazing, but he wasn't able to focus on that at the moment. Rather, his attention was on the 'demon head' he was getting right then, along with the yell. "I WASN'T TRYING ANYTHING!"

"YOU'RE LAYING ON THE FLOOR WITH HER ON TOP OF YOU!"

"IT WAS HER IDEA!"

"AND THAT'S SUPPOSED TO MAKE IT BETTER?!"

"WELL..."

"Actually Daddy, it is," Nabiki murmured as she came into the room and sighed. Things were not going as she'd hoped they would, and now she was going to have to salvage what she could from it.

Her father turned to look at her. "How can you say that?!"

"Simple. If you remember, none of the Akane 'copies' can do anything perverted, right?"

"Ummm... yeah..."

"You know I'm right. That's why you were so uptight about bothering my dear little sister."

"This isn't about my plans. It's about loyalty to your sister."

"Not quite," Nabiki replied, "If this was just another 'copy' then she couldn't actually do anything intimate, and therefore, he couldn't cheat on Akane with her."

"But it sounded..."

"Like what? Were you... eavesdropping by any chance?"

"Of course not! I was just... concerned is all. Besides, I could have been right."

"If you were, and he could do anything with her, then there was one question you should ask yourself," the middle Tendo daughter told her father, seeing an opportunity for her own plans. "She was given to him by Akane and she would have had it programmed how she wanted. So if this one were able to do something with Ranma... then my dear sister might just have wanted it that way..."

"EH?!" came bursting from both males.

"Think about it. She is a gift after all..."

Ranma took one look from Akane to Nabiki and back again before twitching slightly. Just the idea that Akane would think like that was weird, and he didn't know just how to take it. Before she would have bashed him for ever considering pressing the reset on one of her copies, and now he was supposed to think that she would give him one that he could go further with. That simply did not compute for him, and he shied away from any connotations that might bring.

Soun, on the other had, took a rather... predictable route in his thoughts. He had found his future son-in-law in a compromising position with a copy of his daughter. But his daughter would never have allowed a copy to do anything that she considered perverted. As such, the only way that an android copy of her could act this way, was if she gave the say so. So there was only one reason that he could come up with that would fit the scenario as he saw it.

Akane was obviously now seeing Ranma as her future bedmate, and saw nothing wrong with him bedding something that looked like her, which certainly meant that her resistance to the plan the fathers had for the couples was gone.

"My baby girl has grown up so much!" the Tendo patriarch cried, "She's doesn't want her fiancé to have to wait for the wedding night, so she's allowed this to happen!"

The assembled androids, and their owner merely stared stupidly at the man as they tried to consider just where he'd gotten this idea.

"We'll have to prepare the wedding for when she returns!"

"Oh brother..," Ranma groaned as he slipped out from under Akane and out of the room. "I can't believe this..."

Nabiki let him go, and tried not to rub her temples. But it was a loosing proposition, even if she knew that she couldn't get headaches as she used to. Habit did not ask for rationality at all.

"I was hoping for another outcome," Kodachi murmured as she slipped inside and over to her fellow androids.

"Me too," Nabiki admitted, "But then why should now be any different."

"Hmm?"

"When does a plan ever go right around here?"

"Ahh... too true..."

"Shouldn't we go after him?" Akane asked.

Her sister shook her head. "Give him a little time. Besides, we also have to handle Daddy, and likely in the near future, 'Uncle' Genma."

"I know that you girls will want to help out too," Soun called out, "Won't you?"

"Yeah, right... You want to know what we want Daddy?"

"What?"

"We want to know just how you got in there."

"I used my skills as a martial artist."

"Really?" Nabiki said with a shrug, "then maybe you can use them to get out of your hole. We have things to do."

Blinking slightly, Soun watched the trio leave, and then slowly allowed a realisation to come over him. He patted the floor with his hands, and jerked his hips slightly before stopping with a sickly look to his expression. "I'm stuck..," he muttered nervously

Ifurita 1.5: Here, There, And Everywhere [Episode 123057]

by Kender

Most of the time, Nabiki was in full control of her emotions, but that did not mean that she didn't show them from time to time. She had no problem in smiling, frowning, or shaking her head in disbelief. Despite being the 'Ice Queen', she wasn't totally cold, and could quite easily grin over a triumph, or bite someone's head off when they angered her. But she was always one to behave with some sort of cool dignity when she did anything.

It was a bit of an oddity to see her sitting crosslegged on her bed and looking rather like she was pouting. "This was not the way that I wanted things to go."

"Unfortunately, with Master's... nervousness, and your father's interference, it was unavoidable," Kodachi commented with no little amount of chagrin in her voice, "was it not?"

"That's the problem. It can be amusing from time to time to have him be so skittish, but I'd like to sort of be with him eventually, if you know what I mean."

"Indeed, I do. The difficulty is that we can not force him into actions that he is wary of. Doing so seems to make him run in the opposite direction."

"Which really stinks. With willing girls ready to make love to him every time he wants to, he'd be in a position that other guys would hang themselves for." The middle Tendo daughter gave a wry grin. "But then that's part of his charm, isn't it?"

"You are right on that aspect. And with us being his property, it is not like we would be trying to marry him."

"Him getting married. Now that's a concept that I didn't really think of. Not that we can prevent that, or should. We're his marionettes. If he fell for someone, then so much the better for him."

The Black Fox gave a negligent flick of her hand. "And as it stands, the field of marriage has been narrowed. Out of the viable candidates, there are only the chef, the Amazon, and your sister. Of course, given the plan as it stands, your elder sibling will make him think that he will have no Tendo daughters for marriage."

"That isn't true," Akane disagreed, her voice ringing with certainty.

"Oh?"

"Akane Tendo is still out there, and when she returns, she can marry Master. And even if she weren't, Kasumi would be still only thought of as on a trip."

A look passed between the other two marionettes, and the elder sister looked at the younger. "Hold on a sec. What would that mean for you?"

"Things would stay the same no matter who Master marries. I am his marionette, to do with as he pleases, no matter the task."

"Really? And you'd have done anything he asked in your... previous body?"

"Of course. It was his property. He could use it, use me, as he wanted."

"You mean that?"

"I didn't mumble," the short haired marionette replied, a bit of peevishness tinging her voice.

"I see."

"I hope that you do."

Nabiki arched a brow, but didn't say anything. Instead, she tried to figure out just what her sister's words would mean. She knew that the girl in front of her really was the youngest Tendo, but apparently the girl herself was insisting that the whole 'Akane's on a trip' story be the 'truth'. It was a bit confusing, but she didn't know how to unravel the reasoning. After all, had Akane continued on in her birth body, Ranma would have full access to the entire form, and would have possibly been able to have sex with it any which way he wanted.

Pushing away any wondering over what he'd say to owning a fully 'organic robot', the elder Tendo merely sighed. "Whatever you say. Still, we have to figure out what we need to do. I don't want to force him into anything, but making him feel easy enough to get to be with us might be nice."

"And how do you plan on managing that?" her sister asked.

"Simple. Very, very slowly. We have to make him feel comfortable first, and hopefully ease him into sharing himself with us in the future."

"Perhaps he might even decide that he might like to be sharing a room with one of you," Kodachi suggested.

"What? Wouldn't you want to sneak him off to your place?"

"Certainly. But I would not think that my brother would have the same... willingness."

"Ah. He can be stubborn. What about you, Akane?"

"If it would help our Master," Akane answered calmly, "then I am all for it."

"Good then. Let's put our heads together, and get organized," Nabiki told them, and the three of them got close in together to start their discussion."

"Man... My life's weird," Ranma sighed heavily as he walked with his hands behind his head, and knew that he'd only been speaking the truth. Only a little while earlier, he'd been only having to deal with old perverts, idiotic rivals, and girls who wanted to be romantic with him. Now, he had to handle owning robot girls, seeing robots all over the place, and realizing that there was a whole lot of stuff that was out of his realm of experience.

Not that he was complaining about that. Other than a few small things, he thought that he was handling it all okay. He didn't see anything about the marionettes that would make him think of them as only machines, especially his, and he'd always known that there was a lot out there that was over his head. So, rather than worry about it, he just went along as best he could, and tried to make the best of his confusing situations, including getting an Akane android which was the only one that would allow anyone to get 'perverted' with it. She'd been a gift from Akane herself, which made it all the weirder, though he at least could hope that the marionette's behavior was an intentional part of her programming.

'Hmmm... Speakin' of Akane, where is she?' he thought to himself as he looked up at the ceiling over him. ''Course, I don't blame her for runnin' off. With what Pop and her dad've been doin' ta her, she'd probably want time off from them. I'd want that myself.'

The silent hallway didn't say anything, but he did get a bit of inspiration anyway.

'She could've gone ta that forest again. She'd possibly be okay there. Then again, she did go ta Cyberdyne. Maybe they sent her off on a vacation or somethin'. For all we could know, she's on some other planet, enjoying alien hot springs or somethin'. Knowin' them, they'd send her off ta relax and work ta make sure that she could do it.'

Satisfied with his theory, Ranma let himself smile a bit, and allowed his shoulders to rise a bit as he walked through the house.

Kasumi knew that this was rather strange for her, but she just couldn't help herself. For years, she'd always let herself simply enjoy being the person that she was. She'd always liked who she was, and found pleasure in the sort of relationships that she had with the neighbors. But she'd known that once she took on the 'role' of Ranma Saotome's 'marionette Kasumi', her appearance would be out of her hands. Besides, she felt a little mischief might be a fun thing, and a good start to what she was planning on doing.

So, she was walking home in her maid outfit, with some of her packages on her arm, and more to be shipped to her home. It was terribly exposing to go about the neighborhood like this, but it was also rather freeing. She let the appreciative looks from the men passing by go over her body, and blushed at the idea that they found her attractive in that way.

However, she did think that it might be nice to make at least one of Ranma... Master's favorite dishes, and so she had made a diversion to the market on her way home. More people saw her this way, and she almost let herself feel embarrassed enough to duck her head, but she went along as if she did this every day. This outfit was actually more covering than a bikini, or a one piece, and she'd gone out in those. Remembering that made it easier, though she did know that it was surprising to see Kasumi Tendo in a maid's uniform.

It became easier to do as time went on though, as she got used to the looks. Most were finding her to look attractive, even if they were confused at the moment. And since she'd never had a problem with anyone she'd met, no one had been troublesome about her mode of dress.

Then she went to the fruit stand, and was looking over the selection, and was finally confronted by the reactions of someone, who was the stand keeper, in this case.

"Why hello... Kasumi?!" he blurted, his eyes wide open as they scanned her form.

She cocked her head to the side and blinked at him. "Yes?"

"What are you... why are you..."

"Hmmm?"

"That outfit..."

"Oh. This," Kasumi replied with a deep blush. "It's rather attractive, isn't it?"

"Well, yes... But..."

"Yes?"

"I've never expected that you would... wear that."

"I did think that."

The stall owner looked like he would have choked on the understatement. "But when did you decide to dress like that? Not that you're fully grown, and able to make your own decisions. It's not like your father could choose your clothing for you now."

"That's..." she began and then realized that her 'role' was coming into play, and that if she wanted to cement it for now, she'd have to start here."

"Is something wrong?"

"I do think so. You see, I think that you have the wrong idea."

"I do?"

"Yes. But it's not your fault. You see, I'm based on Kasumi Tendo."

"'Based'? How do you mean?"

"You know those copies of Akane that were being sold?"

"You mean those... You're an android?!"

Though she disliked lying, she felt that it was what she'd have to do. "I am."

"But I didn't know that she'd let that happen."

"That's because they're... starting a new set of me. There are plenty of them, but not all things are allowed."

"We still can buy one of her, can't we?"

"If you want, and agree to what the offer says, they'll might let you."

"Ah. That's good," he said, thoughtfully.

"Really?"

"I'd say so. Everyone around likes the girl that you're based on. Such a sweet child, always with a good word for everyone."

"You mean it."

"Nothing could make me say otherwise. What about yourself? Have you been sold?"

"'Given', actually. I'm going to Ranma Saotome to be his," Kasumi replied, knowing that this was at least true.

"Hmmm... Lucky boy. Very lucky boy..."

"Oh my..."

"It's the truth."

"Thank you."

"Now, you don't need to bow."

The eldest Tendo straightened up from the mentioned action, and smiled brightly. "Then shall we discuss your fruit? I would like to make a good first meal for my Master."

"As you wish, my dear android."

She giggled at the same he chuckled, and the two of them looked over what he had to sell,


End file.
